defenceandspacediaryJULY 08, 2019 News the Newsbehind 9
Th e IAF has acquired the Spice-
stand-off weapon system along with a
number of spare and air to air missile
deals with multiple counties under the
emergency provisions to equip itself for
sudden war. Th e Army is in the process
of acquiring the Spike anti-tank guided
missile from France and Igla-S air defence
missiles from Russia under the emergency
provisions.
Under the powers given to the three
services, they can buy the equipment
of their choice within three months at
a cost of up to Rs 300 crore per case,
government sources said.
Th e emergency powers were given
to the forces within few weeks after the
February 14 Pulwama attack in which 40
CRPF personnel were killed.
(Th e Economic Times)ARMY, NATIONAL
E-GOVERNANCE DIVISION
INK MOU
Management Information Systems
Organisation (MISO) of Indian Army
is the nodal agency under Directorate
General of Information Systems (DGIS)
which is mandated to maintain the
centralized database for personnel,
equipment and major stores for providing
management related information to
Integrated HQ of MoD (Army) and other
agencies. Th e application was legacy and
needed a thorough revamp.
To meet the organizational
requirements and enhanced user
aspirations, rather than employing the
conventional developmental framework,
DGIS experimented with a new
collaborative approach with Ministry of
Electronics and Information Technology
(MeitY) for developing the new MISO
application. Development work, under
the aegis of MeitYstarted at Bhaskaracharya
Institute of Space Applications and Geo-
Informatics (BISAG), Gandhinagar
which is a CMMI-5 level institute under
Department of Science & Technology,
Government of Gujarat. In a short
span of time, the experiment has paid
rich dividends and has appeared as the
panacea for undertaking automation of
the Indian Army at the fast pace.
To formalize the entire developmental
framework, structures & methodology,
Lt Gen Anil Kapoor, Director General
of Information Systems and Colonel
Commandant, Corps of EME and M S
Rao, President & CEO, Ne GD inked
a MoU on Jul 5, in the presence of TP
Singh, Director, BISAG.
Th is signing of MoU is fi rst of its kind
inter-ministerial initiative between MoD
& MeitY and is sure to lead to similar
joint frameworks for fi nding innovative
solutions in the collaborative manner for
the Indian Army.NAVY
MEGA DEALS FOR
HELICOPTERS, SUBMARINES
Dinakar Peri, writing in Th e Hindu
reports the Navy has lined up several
multi-billion dollar deals for helicopters,
long-range maritime patrol aircraft
(LRMPA) and submarines which are in
important stages of the procurement.
Th e deals for 24 MH-60R multi-role
helicopters (MRH) and 10 more P-8I
LRMPA are at an advanced stage with
the U.S. through their Foreign Military
Sales route. Th e process for 111 Naval
Utility Helicopters and six conventional
submarines under Project-75I has kicked
off through the much-delayed Strategic
Partnership (SP) model.
“Th e case for 24 MRH is at the cost
negotiation stage and is expected to be
concluded by September,” a Defence
source said. In April, the U.S. formally
approved the sale potentially valued at
$2.6 billion.
Th e Navy, Peri writes, had initially
procured eight P-8Is in a $2.1-billion
deal in 2009. It exercised the optional
clause for four more in a deal worth over
$1billion signed in 2016. Th e aircraftare part of the 312A Naval Air Squadron
based at Arakkonam in Tamil Nadu.
Th e deal for 111 NUH is the fi rst
one to be processed under the ambitious
SP model meant to promote domestic
private sector participation in Defence
manufacturing. While three foreign
Original Equipment Manufacturers
(OEM) have responded, eight Indian
companies have expressed interest in
participating in the tender.
“Th e process for selection of qualifi ed
Indian private partners will begin shortly,”
another Defence source said.
Th e P-75I for six submarines, writes
Peri, will be the second deal to be processed
under this model. Early this month, the
Navy issued the Expression of Interest
for shortlisting potential Indian strategic
partners for the project estimated over
Rs45,000 crore.
(Th e Hindu)
INDIA TO BUY $2.2 BILLION
WARSHIPS
India sought bids for purchase of
warships and support vessels for its navy
and coast guard as it ramps up security of
its maritime border in the Indian Ocean
region.
Th e government Monday has asked
seven shipyards to submit proposals for
the construction of six missile warships
and other smaller vessels worth 150
billion rupees ($2.2 billion), the Ministry
of Defence said in a statement. The
tender includes eight fast patrol vessels,
12 hovercrafts and eight missile-cum-
ammunition barges.
The shipbuilders invited include
private shipyards Larsen & Toubro Ltd.
and Reliance Naval & Engineering
Ltd., apart from the state-run Mazagon
Dock Shipbuilders Ltd., Garden Reach
Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd., Goa
Shipyard Ltd., Hindustan Shipyard Ltd.
and Cochin Shipyard Ltd., people with
knowledge of the matter said.
N. C. Bipindra, writing in the
Economic times reports that the tenders