USA extremely happy to receive INR 2550 crore orders from Indian Navy for Hellfire Missile
India is becoming Atmanirbhar in production of weapons and equipment day by day .However for the time being we still have to import around 20% of our requirement in certain key areas .
Russia is our most reliable and time tested friend still supplies most of our requirements and will continue to do so and no one can take its place . We have also been importing critical items from France and Israel our two other trusted friends.
USA has been trying to cosy up to us since last decade plus and have been offering us certain advanced systems required by Indian Forces to fill in the gap till own indigenous system are available .
So in line with this P8I and MH64 helicopters were ordered for the Navy, Chinook heavy support helicopters and Appache attack helicopters and light field guns for the other two Services .
For the Indian Navy, MoD has placed orders on defence shipyards / PSUs orders for a large number of offshore patrol vessel, missile vessels frigates, destroyers and submarines and BrahMos missiles, to increase the firepower . A part of recent defence deals worth Rs 37,600 crore with local manufacturers, the contracts are also expected to boost Make in India.
At the same time, the Indian defence ministry has given the Americans orders worth INR 2550 Crores, to equip Indian Navy’s choppers bought earlier from the American .
The Hellfire missiles and Mark 54 anti-submarine torpedoes, are required for 24 MH-60 Romeo helicopters, which should be joining the Indian Navy soon .
The deal is reportedly in advanced stages as the Americans are negotiations to complete it under Foreign Military Sales. These Mark 54 torpedoes are in use by even US surface ships and helicopters . Indian Navy will also be operating these Hellfire missiles till they get replaced by indigenous systems .
The 24 MH-60 Romeo helicopters are to be supplied by the American Company Lockheed Martin, for Rs 16,000-crore through a fast-track procedure, two years back. These helicopters will replace the existing Sea King helicopters, which we had bought from UK in 1980’s.
