Defence Acquisition Council chaired by Manohar Parrikar to discuss shopping list on Saturday

After the infamous Bofors deal of 1986, which involved the procurement of howitzers, the government is likely procure $750-million ultra-light howitzers and armed drones from the US, reported The Telegraph. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, will offer clarity on the Navy, Air Force and the Army’s plans to procure missile boats, special operations vehicles, long-range air defence systems artillery modernisation programme respectively, reported The Hindu. The council is slated to meet on Saturday. [caption id=“attachment_2853144” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. PTI[/caption] The report in The Hindu added that five S-400 Triumf long-range surface-to-air missile systems from Russia, that might be worth Rs 40,000 crore, is up for clearance and that the council gave a formal approval to its deal in December 2015. The Economic Times’ report on the DAC mentioned that Manohar Parrikar will discuss projects worth over Rs 1 lakh, which will include defence purchases such as armed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), carbines and a range of Navy vessels. It added that India has the option of purchasing US-made Predator drones and a new fleet of armed drones for the Air Force, besides discuss a proposal to gear two Boeing 777 VVIP aircrafts with missile avoidance systems. On 18 June, Manohar Parrikar said that defence deals are not made overnight and take a lot of time owing to bureaucratic procedures. “Things do take time in defence (deals). Even if I make an order, it does not happen overnight because it requires time to mature. Army items are not procured off the shelf like you buy a TV or a mobile, like you walk into a shop and come out with the product,” he said, at a foundation-laying ceremony at Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited. Apart from the procurement of M777 howitzer for the Army, the DAC, according to The Telegraph report, might also consider acquiring 44,500 battle carbines from Israel, while the government will take a call on ordering Spyder systems (short and medium range mobile air defence system) from Israel or wait till the Akash missile has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Of importance to the Navy are six Brahmos systems, and Talwar class ships that are estimated to be at Rs 2,700 crore, six next-generation missile vessels at 1,250 tonnes estimated at Rs 13,000 crore and two earlier approved projects, two special ops vessels and associated swimming delivery vehicles for Rs. 2,000 crore, said The Hindu. With inputs from PTI