Navy's existing multi-role helicopters. (File photo used for representation only)

NEW DELHI: The defence ministry on Saturday gave initial approvals to long-delayed procurement projects for new helicopters, howitzers and air defence missile systems worth around Rs 46,000 crore, which includes the Rs 13,500 crore government-to-government deal with the US for 24 naval multi-role MH-60 ‘Romeo’ choppers.

The grant of acceptance of necessity (AoN) for the heavy-duty MH-60 helicopters manufactured by Sikorsky-Lockheed Martin, and designed to detect, track and hunt enemy submarines, by the Nirmala Sitharaman-led defence acquisitions council (DAC) comes ahead of the inaugural “two-plus-two” dialogue between India and the US here on September 6.

This is the second big US project to be cleared by the DAC before the bilateral dialogue is held by Sitharaman and foreign minister Sushma Swaraj with their American counterparts, Jim Mattis and Mike Pompeo . The first was the AoN accorded to the $1 billion acquisition of the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System-II (NASAMS-II), which is slated for deployment as a missile shield for New Delhi, as was earlier reported by TOI.

These AoNs will of course take some time to materialise into actual contracts after commercial negotiations between the two governments under the US “Foreign Military Sales (FMS)” programme. But the FMS route is considered “much faster and cleaner” than the cumbersome global tender process, which takes several years and is often derailed by corruption allegations in India. The US, on its part, is eager to bag more deals, having notched military sales worth $17 billion to India just since 2007.

The DAC also approved the over Rs 21,000 crore procurement of 111 armed naval utility helicopters under the “strategic partnership (SP)” policy, which seeks to boost the Indian private sector’s role in production of advanced weapon systems in tie-ups with foreign armament majors.

Officials said the “Make in India” production of the 111 twin-engine choppers, which will replace the ageing fleet of single-engine Chetak helicopters that operate from warship decks, will be the first project to kick off under the SP policy. The four global aviation majors in contention are Airbus, Bell, Sikorsky-Lockheed Martin and Russian Helicopters .

Another major project cleared on Saturday was the acquisition of 150 indigenous Advanced Towed Artillery Gun Systems (ATAGS) for the Army at a cost of Rs 3,365 crore. These 155 mm/52 calibre howitzers, with a strike range of over 40-km, have been developed by DRDO and will be produced by private sector companies Tata Power and Bharat Forge.

The DAC also approved the procurement of 14 vertically-launched short-range surface-to-air missile systems for stealth frigates and anti-submarine warfare corvettes from European firm MBDA. “Ten of these air defence systems will be produced in India,” said an official.

Both the multi-role and utility helicopters are “critical operational necessities” for the Navy, which have been hanging fire for well over a decade. Indian warships are virtually bereft of such helicopters at a time when Chinese nuclear and diesel-electric submarines are making regular forays into the Indian Ocean Region.

The 140-warship force has just about a dozen old Sea King and 10 Kamov-28 anti-submarine warfare helicopters. “The direct procurement of the first 24 multi-role helicopters will be followed by a separate SP project later to produce 123 such choppers here,” said the official.

