THE Government on Thursday signed a contract worth Rs 1,220.12 crore with Bharat Electronics Limited for procurement of 149 state-of-theart radios for the Indian Coast Guard that will enable secure and reliable information sharing and situational awareness through high-speed data, the Defence Ministry said. Additionally, these radios will “enhance interoperability” for joint operations with the Indian Navy, it said. The ministry signed the contract with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Bengaluru, for “procurement of 149 software defined radios for the Indian Coast Guard at a total cost of Rs 1,220.12 crore under Buy (Indian-IDDM) category”. IDDM stands for Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured.

 

“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 said. This will strengthen the Coast Guard’s “capability to fulfil its core responsibilities, including maritime law enforcement, search and rescue operations, fisheries protection and marine environment protection”, the statement said. The project is a “strategic step” toward bolstering the Coast Guard’s operational capabilities and supporting thegovernment of India’sBlue Economy objectives by reinforcing maritime security, the ministry said.

 

“Aligning with the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative,the contractwill enhance the country’s manufacturing capabilities for advanced military-grade communication systems, generating employment opportunities and fosteringexpertisedevelopment,” it added. Ina separate statement,the Ministry of Defence saidithas signed contracts with ACE Limitedand JCBIndiaLimited in presence of Defence Secretary R K Singh for procurement of “1,868 Rough TerrainForkLiftTruckatatotal cost of Rs 697.35 crore for Indian Army, Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy”. RTFLT is a “critical equipment which will assist in various combatandlogistics support tasks by avoiding manual handling of enormous number of stores” and thus enhancing the operational effectiveness of the Army, IAF and the Navy, it said. ThepresentcasebeingaBuy (Indian) case will enhance national defence equipment manufacturing capabilities.