Govt approves steps to fight Army's night-blindness in mechanized forces

NEW DELHI: With night-fighting capabilities being a major operational gap in the Army's capabilities to wage war round-the-clock, the defence ministry on Tuesday approved thermal imaging (TI) sights for main-battle tanks and infantry combat vehicles worth almost Rs 3,000 crore.

The Defence Acquisitions Council (DAC), chaired by defence minister A K Antony, also discussed revisions in the defence procurement procedure (DPP) but deferred the final decision on them till April 20. As earlier reported by TOI, with Antony pushing for greater indigenisation in the defence production sector after the VVIP helicopter scandal, the proposed changes in the DPP include provisions under which the "first right of refusal" would be with the domestic industry.

The armed forces will now first have to check with domestic public and private sector industry if they have the capacity and wherewithal to deliver a desired weapon system before looking for foreign options.

India's abject failure to build a robust defence industrial base, unlike China, means it still continues to import over 60% of its military hardware and software, which also makes it vulnerable to supply lines being choked in times of emergency.

As for the measures to fight night-blindness, the DAC approved the acquisition of around 2,000 TI sights for commanders of the T-72 tanks, which form the backbone of the force's mechanized forces, for around Rs 1,000 crore.

Around 1,200 TI-cum-day sights will also be procured, at a cost of Rs 960 crore, for the T-90S main battle-tanks. The Army has so far inducted around 800 of the 1,657 T-90S tanks contracted from Russia.

Similarly, another 1,780 TI-cum-day sights are to be bought for infantry combat vehicles, BMP-II and BMP-IIKs, at a cost of around Rs 860 crore. As reported by TOI last week, the Army is undertaking an ambitious programme to upgrade its entire fleet of over 2,000 BMPs with advanced weaponry and night-fighting capabilities.

The mechanised forces, which include 63 armoured corps regiments and over 30 mechanized infantry battalions, constitute a critical component of Army's preparedness for high-intensity, fast-tempo and short-duration battles of the future.

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