India ramps up anti-terror arsenal with ₹2K cr emergency procurement push

The latest procurements of drones, loitering munitions, and detection systems highlight the Defence Ministry's push to equip the Indian Army with cutting-edge, indigenous tech for vital missions

In a bid to strengthen the Indian Army’s counter-terrorism capabilities, the Ministry of Defence on Monday announced the completion of 13 priority contracts under its Emergency Procurement (EP) mechanism, with a cumulative value of ₹1,981.9 crore.

 

The deals, sanctioned under a ₹2,000 crore allocation, are aimed at enhancing operational readiness in insurgency-prone regions. According to the ministry’s official statement, the procurements were fast-tracked to meet immediate operational needs by improving situational awareness, combat lethality, mobility, and troop protection.

What equipment is being procured?

The contracts include a wide range of modern systems and platforms, such as:

• Integrated Drone Detection and Interdiction Systems (IDDIS)
• Low Level Lightweight Radars (LLLR)
• Very Short Range Air Defence Systems (VSHORADS) — launchers and missiles
• Remotely Piloted Aerial Vehicles (RPAVs)
• Loitering munitions, including Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) systems
• Various categories of surveillance and combat drones
• Bulletproof jackets (BPJs)
• Ballistic helmets
• Quick Reaction Fighting Vehicles (QRFVs) – heavy and medium
• Night sights for rifles

Why this procurement push matters now

The procurements reflect the Defence Ministry’s continued focus on equipping the Army with advanced, fully indigenous technologies vital for modern warfare. The emergency procurement mechanism, previously used for acquiring weapons, ammunition, and communications gear, remains central to plugging urgent capability gaps and expediting deliveries of operationally critical assets. 

Backdrop: Operation Sindoor and asymmetric threats

This procurement drive follows ‘Operation Sindoor’, the Indian Army’s calibrated military response after the recent Pahalgam terrorist attack. During the operation, Pakistan reportedly attempted coordinated strikes on military targets in northern and western India — including Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bathinda, Phalodi, and Bhuj — using drones and missile systems.

 

India’s air defence successfully detected, tracked, and neutralised multiple airborne threats using radars, command centres, and systems like the indigenous short-range surface-to-air missile ‘Akash’.

How India retaliated with precision strikes

In its counter-strike, India targeted high-value Pakistani airbases — Noor Khan and Rahimyar Khan — using loitering munitions or ‘suicide drones’ that homed in on radar systems and missile platforms. The effectiveness of these drones in targeting enemy assets underlines the critical role of such technology in modern military strategy.

What’s next for India’s defence preparedness

With a dynamic threat landscape and rising asymmetric warfare tactics, the Army’s need for agile, tech-driven assets is greater than ever. The Emergency Procurement route, combined with indigenous manufacturing and faster delivery timelines, is expected to remain a key tool in India’s ongoing defence modernisation push.