31 Predator drones to be bought from the US, two nuclear submarines to be built in the country; Cabinet committee gives green signal

The Cabinet Committee on Defence on Wednesday cleared big deals to indigenously build two nuclear submarines and acquire 31 Predator drones from the US to strengthen the surveillance capability of the Indian Navy and the defence forces. Deals worth Rs 80,000 crore in all were cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Defence.

The Indian Navy will get two nuclear-powered attack submarines, which will help in increasing manifold its capabilities in the Indian Ocean region. According to sources, the deal to build two submarines at the Ship Building Center in Visakhapatnam is worth around Rs 45,000 crore and will have major participation from private sector firms like Larsen & Toubro.

The deal had been pending for long, with the Indian Navy insisting that it was imperative to meet the shortfall of underwater capability. Long-term, India plans to add six such submarines to its fleet in as part of its indigenous submarine induction plan.

These submarines, which are going to be built under the ambitious Project Advanced Technology Vessel Project, are different from the five nuclear submarines building under the Arihant class at the same location. The second major deal approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security Affairs is to buy 31 Predator drones from US General Atomics.

Under the Foreign Military Sales Contract between India and the US, the deal was proposed. The deal was to be approved before October 31 since the US proposal was valid till then. Now, in the next few days, it will be signed.

He has said that according to the contract, beginning four years from now, the Defence Forces will start receiving the drones. According to reports, the Indian Navy is going to get 15 of 31 such drones while the Army and Air Force will get eight drones each.