The Author is Former Director General of Information Systems and A Special Forces Veteran, Indian Army

News reports of February 8, 2024, indicated that with India looking to play a larger role in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) are likely to get 15 medium-range, multi-modal aircraft, primarily for surveillance. Nine of these aircraft will go to the Navy and six to the ICG. This will be a buy and make case; four will be bought and 11 made in India by a local firm. The Defence Procurement Board (DPB), chaired by the Defence Secretary, had cleared the proposal. The proposal was then cleared by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on February 16, 2024. The DAC approval includes new generation anti-tank mines, air defence tactical control radars, heavy weight torpedoes, medium-range maritime reconnaissance and multi-mission maritime aircraft, flight refueller aircraft and software defined radios.

The transport aircraft will undergo modifications, equipped with essential radars and sensors, to transform into a maritime patrol plane under the purview of the Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS) under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). C295 aircraft are being built in India under collaboration between European major Airbus and TATA.

The IAF plans to purchase six new indigenous Netra-I surveillance aircraft to enhance its surveillance capabilities along the borders with China and Pakistan.

Earlier news reports of February 6, 2024, indicated that India is set to receive three new spy planes under a 'Made in India' project. These spy planes are to be equipped with the capability to intercept enemy communications and signals. The proposal is to be executed through a partnership between the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Air Force (IAF).

Additionally, the IAF plans to purchase six new indigenous Netra-I surveillance aircraft to enhance its surveillance capabilities along the borders with China and Pakistan. The Netra-I Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft programme is based on the Brazilian Embraer aircraft. The IAF already has two Netra-I aircraft developed by DRDO and will procure six more as part of a revival of the programme. According to the plans, the six new aircraft will be manufactured in India by the DRDO and supplied to the IAF as part of a project valued at over ₹8,000 crore.

India is set to receive three new spy planes under a 'Made in India' project. These spy planes are to be equipped with the capability to intercept enemy communications and signals.

Concurrently, news reports of February 9, 2024 stated that Brazilian aerospace major Embraer and India's Mahindra have signed an agreement to jointly fulfill the acquisition of the C-390 multi-mission transport aircraft by the IAF, with the IAF looking to procure 40 to 80 medium transport aircraft to replace its ageing fleets of AN-32 aircraft. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Embraer and Mahindra on the proposed medium transport aircraft (MTA) procurement project was signed at the Brazilian embassy in New Delhi. To meet the IAF's requirements, Embraer Defense and Security's C-390 Millennium, Airbus Defence and Space A400M aircraft and Lockheed Martin's C-130J have emerged as the top contenders.

According to Embraer and Mahindra, their collaboration around the C-390 Millennium will bring the latest technology in terms of aerospace and military transport aircraft to India, as also, both companies will explore the potential to turn India into a future hub of the C-390 aircraft for the region.

Bosco da Costa Junior, President and CEO of Embraer Defense and Security, said, "India is a key market for Embraer. We are honoured to announce this MoU with Mahindra. India has a diverse and strong defence and aerospace industry and we have chosen Mahindra as our partner to jointly pursue the MTA programme. We see this partnership as a symbol of strengthening relations between Brazil and India and a way to foster Global South cooperation." he said.

Embraer and Mahindra will engage with the IAF to identify the next steps of the MTA programme as well as contact the local aerospace industry in India to start developing the industrialisation plan for the project, according to a joint statement released by the two companies. Vinod Sahay, Mahindra's President of aerospace and defence sector, said, "The C-390 Millennium is the most advanced military airlifter in the market, and we believe that this partnership will not only bolster the operational prowess of the IAF, but also provide an efficient industrialisation solution that aligns seamlessly with the objectives of Make in India."

In August 2023, Embraer held a C-390 Millennium Day in New Delhi to deepen its engagement with the local aerospace industry. It was very well attended by the Indian aerospace ecosystem. A statement released on the occasion said that the C-390 Millennium multi-mission tactical transport aircraft offers unmatched mobility, combining high productivity and operating flexibility with low operating costs. The C-390 aircraft is also equipped for air-to-air refueling. Since entering operation with the Brazilian Air Force in 2019 and most recently with the Portuguese Air Force in 2023, the C-390 has proven its capacity, reliability and performance, the statement said. To date, the C-390 Millennium has been selected by Brazil, Portugal, Hungary, the Netherlands, Austria, the Czech Republic and most recently, South Korea.

With the IAF looking to procure 40 to 80 medium transport aircraft, Brazilian aerospace major Embraer and India's Mahindra have signed an agreement to jointly fulfill the acquisition of the C-390 multi-mission transport aircraft by the IAF.

The Minister of State (MoS) for Defence informed the Lok Sabha on February 9, 2024, that Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) worth ₹5,077 crore had been reported by companies operating in the defence sector till now. Replying to a question, Minister Bhatt said the defence industry sector was opened up in May 2001 for private sector participation and the FDI limit in the defence sector was enhanced in 2020, up to 74 per cent through the automatic route for companies seeking new defence industrial licenses, and up to 100 per cent through the government route wherever it was likely to result in access to modern technology.

Bhatt said the government also promotes co-development and co-production of niche defence technologies with foreign original equipment manufacturers to encourage FDI in the defence sector. In response to another question, he said the Defence Ministry signed a contract with the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) on December 20, 2023, for the procurement of six next-generation offshore patrol vessels for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) at a total cost of ₹1,614 crore.