Now Reading: Navy’s Rs 18,000 Crore Loitering Munition Project Attracts Bidders
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Navy’s Rs 18,000 Crore Loitering Munition Project Attracts Bidders
The Defence Ministry has issued a Request for Information for a ship-launched loitering munition system for the Indian Navy, with a potential value of Rs 15,000-18,000 crore. The project aims to boost…
The Story in Brief
The Defence Ministry has issued a Request for Information for a ship-launched loitering munition system for the Indian Navy, with a potential value of Rs 15,000-18,000 crore. The project aims to boost indigenous long-range precision strike capabilities. Sources told NDTV that potential contenders include Solar Industries, Nibe, Bharat Forge and Tata Advanced Systems.
The proposed system must have a range of at least 1,000 km, loiter endurance of nine hours, cruise speed over 75 knots and attack speed over 200 knots, with an electro-optical/infrared seeker. The procurement is expected to focus on Indian industry in line with the government's push for domestic defence manufacturing.
The Indian Opinion
The push for indigenous manufacturing in this mega-project is welcome, but one must watch whether the critical technologies, such as seekers and propulsion systems, are truly developed domestically or merely assembled from imported components. If these systems rely heavily on foreign licences or components, the strategic independence claimed may be overstated. The real test: will the Defence Ministry later disclose the level of indigenisation achieved in the final contract?
Sources (3): ndtvprofit.com, ndtvprofit.com (2), ndtvprofit.com (3)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 3 sources.
