Chaired by Rajnath Singh, the Defence Acquisition Council approved several capital acquisition proposals, including 22 Interceptor Boats for the Indian Coast Guard.

These state-of-the-art boats will enhance coastal surveillance, patrolling, search and rescue operations, and medical evacuation. Approval for Advanced Land Navigation System for Armoured Fighting Vehicles was also granted.

Interceptor Boats

A meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), under the chairmanship of Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh today concluded in New Delhi. In the meeting, various capital acquisition proposals were considered including Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) to the procurement of Advanced Land Navigation System (ALNS) for Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs) of the Indian Army. The system is spoof-proof with high levels of encryption.

The Ministry of Defence said that in order to enhance the capabilities of the Indian Coast Guard, the DAC accorded AoN for the procurement of 22 Interceptor Boats with the latest state-of-the-art system capable of quick interception and shallow water operation in territorial waters. These boats will be used for coastal surveillance and patrolling, search and rescue operations, including medical evacuation.

Highlighting the accepted proposals, the Ministry said that the ALNS Mk-II is compatible with the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System, NAVigation using Indian Constellation, in addition to the Global Positioning System (GPS) and Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS). It added the ALNS Mk-II offers compatibility with Defence Series Maps resulting in very high accuracy in navigational applications for AFVs. This equipment will be procured from Bharat Electronics Limited under the Indian-Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured category.

The decision, announced on Monday, is aimed at enhancing operational efficiency and surveillance capabilities of the armed forces.

The Coast Guard will get 22 interceptor boats, which will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology. These vessels will bolster the force’s capacity for quick interception, surveillance, search-and-rescue operations, and medical evacuations in shallow waters.

The Advanced Land Navigation System (ALNS) for armoured fighting vehicles will be a crucial upgrade. This indigenously designed and developed system, to be procured from the Chennai-based Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) is described as spoof-proof with high levels of encryption.

In the new release, the defence ministry said the ALNS Mk-II offers compatibility with Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) in addition to Global Positioning System (GPS) and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), ensuring precise navigation even in challenging terrain and hostile environments.

However, the financial details of the procurements have not been disclosed.

The DAC’s approval of these proposals is seen as a positive step towards self-reliance in defence production. The acquisition of these assets is expected to significantly enhance the efficiency and operational capabilities of both the Army and the Coast Guard.

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