India approves military purchases On October 26, India's Defense Acquisition Council approved a package of bids worth $22.2 billion.
About 82% of the volume is planned to be allocated to the local industry. This is in line with New Delhi's policy of developing national military production. The approval is tantamount to accepting the need - the first step in the Indian procurement process. The contracts have not yet been closed. Next comes tenders, evaluation, negotiations and final approval, which can take years. Approved for ground forces: highly mobile vehicles; self-propelled artillery system; gunfire response system; light multipurpose helicopters; Mobile short-range anti-aircraft system (VSHORADS); a platform system for combating unmanned aerial vehicles. India has previously purchased and continues to expand its fleet of self-propelled howitzers of the K9 and Gera-T types. The new package is designed to improve mobility, fire support, situational awareness and defense against UAVs.