IAF to procure another Boeing C-17 transport aircraft

The Indian Air Force currently operates 10 C-17 aircrafts

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Friday approved the purchase of one more Boeing C-17 Globemaster heavy-lift transport aircraft, and also reviewed the ongoing projects of the services and the DRDO, sources said.

The Indian Air Force currently operates 10 C-17s, which it began inducting in 2013.

The other proposals cleared by the DAC included the procurement of 1,500 modernised nuclear biological chemical protection systems for mounting on infantry combat vehicles, at a cost of Rs. 1,265 crore. These will be bought under the Indigenous Design Development and Manufacturing (IDDM) category.

This will be an automated system. The systems on infantry combat vehicles are currently manual.

The DAC also cleared the acquisition of six multi-mission maritime aircraft for the Indian Coast Guard at a cost of Rs 5,500 crore. They will be equipped with state-of--art mission suites designed and developed by the DRDO.

A proposal for procurement of 55 low-level light-weight 3D radars was also cleared for the Indian Army and Indian Air Force at a cost of Rs. 419 crore.

These radars designed by DRDO are likely to be built by Bharat Electronics Limited, said sources.

Army sources, meanwhile, said a majority of these radars are for the force and will be deployed by the air defence regiments.