The defence ministry has signed deal worth Rupees 1,188 crores with the state-run Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL). Following the deal, the BDL will supply 4,960 Milan-2T Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGMs) for Indian Army. The defence ministry had signed the deal with BDL in March 2016 for these missiles.
Milan-2T ATGMs
It is a Tandem Warhead ATGM having the range of 1,850 metres. The missiles have been produced by BDL under the license from MBDA Missile Systems of France. The warheads comprise of a forward charge and a rear charge which is separated by the blast shield. The forward charge of the ATGM fires first and disrupts the outer armor of target while the rear charge of the missile fires after a short while. It then penetrates remaining armor of the target. These missiles will be inducted in the Indian Army in three years.
Features of the missile
These missiles can be fired from both the ground and vehicle-based launchers. The missile can also be deployed in the anti-tank role for offensive as well as the defensive tasks.
Significance
The move will help in strengthening the Make in India programme of the government. The induction of these missiles will enhance the operational preparedness of Armed Forces. This project will also showcase the capability of the defence industry.
Defence Industry in India
The government has now been pushing the Indian Private sector to do the job of manufacturing more of the defence hardware in the country under the flagship Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat programmes. This is helping India to reduce its armaments imports & import bills. These initiatives are also transforming India into a defence manufacturing hub. With this objective, two industrial corridors have been set in north India and in south India.