Transcription
India's defense ministry is reportedly clearing one of its biggest weapons packages in months. The approvals will arm the air force and navy with precision missiles, while the army gets indigenous anti-tank firepower.
The Defense Acquisition Council is meeting after a gap of many months, and for the very first time, India's new Chief of Defense Staff, Army Chief, and Navy Chief will attend together. General Raja Subramani, General Dhirit Sait, and Admiral Krishna Swami Natan are all presiding over DAC proceedings for the very first time. Let's look at the ingredients making India's defense stronger.
At the center of this package is 600 Hammer missiles. These precision-guided air-to-ground weapons were first rushed into service after the Galwan clashes with China in 2020. They were acquired under emergency procurement powers, and now they are being formally inducted in significant numbers.
What makes the Hammer missile so important? For starters, one Rafale can carry six at a time. Each one can strike a target 60 to 70 kilometers away. And once the pilot locks onto a target and fires, the missile guides itself to impact and fires with no further guidance needed. The weapon weighs around 330 kg. It operates in all weather, day or night. It can hit both stationary targets and moving ones. And it's proven particularly effective in mountainous terrain and against heavily protected bunkers. So clearly, the name itself is telling, Hammer, because it works like a hammer strike, flattening its intended target with precision. France first showed it to the world in 2007, then renamed it Hammer in 2011. Since then, India has been importing every single one.
But that's about to change. According to a report, India will now manufacture Hammer locally through a 50/50 joint venture with Safran of France. That means faster supply, lower costs, and zero import dependence. The Hammers will equip India's Rafale and LCA(AS) fighter aircraft, and the Indian Navy will fit them on its Rafale Marine helicopters. As for numbers, the deal is worth approximately $280 million.
French President Emmanuel Macron has hailed the growing partnership with India.
"A huge honor, dear Prime Minister, dear Narendra, to welcome you here in Nice to open up the very first Barette Innovate outside of India together. A few months ago in Mumbai, we launched that year of French-India innovation. And as the video showcased this, the question was not if India is innovating, but who is going to innovate with India, and it is an immense that you're giving us."
But the missiles are just part of the picture. India is also clearing a homegrown anti-tank weapon system. The Man-Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile developed by the Defense Research and Development Organization will enter service in large numbers. The Indian Army will receive 100 launchers, 2300 missiles, and five simulators. Bharat Dynamics Limited will manufacture the system. The Defense Ministry is also hunting for private sector production partners to scale up the output. The project is expected to cost around $300 million.
Meanwhile, the Army's air defense capabilities are also getting an upgrade. India is buying Russian-origin Very Short Range Air Defense systems. The system is designed to intercept low-flying aircraft and other aerial targets.
Beyond these three major packages, the DAC is expected to clear several other proposals. They include software-defined radios, kamikaze drones, drone detection systems, and an upgrade to Scorpion-class submarines.
Taken together, today's approvals will represent a coordinated push to strengthen all three services simultaneously. The Air Force gets precision strike capability. The Navy gets airborne precision firepower. The Army gets close-range anti-tank and air defense systems.
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