INDIA BOOSTS COMBAT CAPABILITY WITH NEW PLATFORMS, WEAPONS IN 2023

"India firmed up defence procurement worth in 2023 as the lingering border standoff with China in eastern Ladakh as well as the crises and conflicts around the world kept the military focused on ways to enhance the country's overall combat prowess to firmly deal with any security challenges.

India also went on an overdrive in expanding its military engagement with like-minded countries in its neighbourhood and beyond in the face of China's relentless attempts to become a region hegemon and establish its primacy in South Asia.

The Indian troops guarding the nearly 3,500 km Line of Actual Control (LAC) maintained an assertive approach as the eastern Ladakh border spilled into the fourth year even as both sides held several rounds of high-level military and diplomatic talks to resolve it.

The face-off between the two of the planet's biggest military forces mainly continued in Demchok and Depsang regions though both sides completed disengagement in several other friction points.

MAJOR DEFENCE PROJECTS APPROVED

In line with a growing realisation about the need to boost the national military power, the defence ministry accorded approval to a number of big-ticket acquisition projects including procurement of 97 Tejas light combat aircraft, 156 Prachand combat helicopters and upgrading 84 Su-30 fighter jets.

In 2023, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved in its meetings.

proposals worth a total of over Rs 3.50 lakh crore to enhance the operational preparedness of the armed forces, the defence ministry said in a year-end review.

GE F414 Fighter Jet Engine

In June, the DAC, the defence ministry's highest decision-making body on procurement, approved acquisition of 31 MQ-9B high altitude long endurance remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) for the three services from the US through foreign military sale (FMS) route.

DAC APPROVES SINGLE-BATCH RAFALE PROCUREMENT