Kakinada, November 11: Union Minister of State for Defence MM Pallam Raju has said that all the armed forces–Army, Navy and Air Force– would be strengthened. About 45 percent of the Defence budget of Rs 1.42 lakh crore would be spent on modernisation of the Services, he added.
Addressing a press conference here today, he said that latest facilities like infrared night vision capability for enhanced vision and fire control facilities would be added to the armed forces vehicles. The technology was being taken from Belarus, he added.
Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the highest body in the Defence services, liberalised the Defence Procurement Policy (DPP), the minister said. Indian Government entered into an agreement with Belarus to provide infrared night vision and fire control systems to the Defence Services, he said.
Instead of exchanging technologies with other countries, we are interested in joint research and development works with other countries, he averred. India is marching ahead in this regard, he added. As many as 30 ordinance factories, three shipyards and eight public sector undertakings are part and parcel of the modernisation project, the minister said.
Referring to ‘Brahmos’ Missile, he said land and naval versions were completed and aircraft version has to be completed to fire the object in a distance of 300 km.
Under offset policy, 30 per cent of the total defence purchases should be made in the country which would help our economic sector, he said.
Fifty percent of the Multi Role Combat products would also be purchased locally, he said. At present the country was having a strength of 13 lakh defence personnel, he said. Navy was playing a key role in protecting our marine boarders.
Meanwhile, Indian Government was also helping to bring back normalcy in our adjacent countries.
As part of it, the government spent $ 1.20 billion in Afghanistan for various development works, he said.
An aircraft carrier was ready and another aircraft would be ready soon from Cochin shipyard, he said. INS Vikramaditya, a Navy vessel would be ready soon and so far $ 1 billion was spent and the price of Vikramaditya was yet to be finalised, he added.
A research work in regard of `Optic’ was given to Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) at Machilipatnam and Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University- Kakinada (JNTUK). Steps were being taken to share information among various intelligence agencies in the country to act promptly, the minister averred.
–Agencies