MoD inks contracts worth around ₹2,000 cr for Software Defined Radios & fork lift trucks

Strengthening coastal security, the Ministry of Defence Thursday signed a contract with State-owned Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) for the procurement of 149 Software Defined Radios for Indian Coast Guard at a total cost of ₹1,220.12 crore.

The order has been placed under the Buy (Indian-IDDM) category of the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP), which refers to the fact that the procurement of defence equipment will be from an Indian vendor that was designed, developed, and manufactured in India.

These state-of-the-art radios will enable secure and reliable information sharing, collaboration, and situational awareness through high-speed data and secure voice communication, the Ministry of Defence stated after the deal was inked at South Block.

The Ministry also stated that it will strengthen the Indian Coast Guard’s capability to fulfil its core responsibilities, including maritime law enforcement, search and rescue operations, fisheries protection, and marine environment protection.

Additionally, these radios will enhance interoperability for joint operations with the Indian Navy.

“The project is a strategic step toward bolstering the Coast Guard’s operational capabilities and supporting the Government of India’s Blue Economy objectives by reinforcing maritime security,” the MoD said in a statement.

Aligning with the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, the contract will enhance the country’s manufacturing capabilities for advanced military-grade communication systems, generating employment opportunities and fostering expertise development.

Last February, the Indian Air Force too had placed orders with BEL for the procurement of software-based lightweight man-portable radio communication sets.

In another contract signed with M/s ACE Limited and M/s JCB India Limited, the MoD has sought to procure an 1868 Rough Terrain Fork Lift Truck (RTFLT) at a total cost of ₹697.35 crore for the three services — Indian Army, Indian Airforce and Indian Navy.

Rough Terrain Fork Lift Truck (RTFLT) is a critical equipment which will assist in various combat and logistics support tasks by avoiding manual handling of enormous number of stores and thus enhancing the operational effectiveness of Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Indian Navy.

GRSE gets Mauritius contract

Kolkata-based defence PSU Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd. (GRSE) signed a major contract on Thursday for the refit of Mauritius government’s MCGS Barracuda offshore patrol vessel.

MCGS Barracuda, a ship of the Mauritius National Coast Guard, was originally built by GRSE and exported to the island’s neighbour. It was commissioned at Port Louis on March 12, 2015, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his counterpart in Mauritius, Anerood Jugnauth.

This vessel was the first export warship built and delivered by an Indian shipyard.

The new refit project underscores GRSE’s commitment to excellence. In a recent success story, GRSE completed the refit of the Seychelles National Coast Guard Vessel PS Zoroaster and concluded the work on May 25, 2024 — one month ahead of schedule—earning accolades from both the MEA and the National Coast Guard, Seychelles, the state-owned company said in a statement on Thursday.

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