Defence ministry inks ₹770 crore contract with BEL for low-level light-weight radars for Army

The Defence Ministry on Wednesday signed a ₹770 crore contract with Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) to procure improved low-level light-weight radars for the Indian Army.

The light-weight radars will bolster Army’s capability to detect and track aerial threats, including mini and micro drones.

The contract for the Improved Low Level Light Weight Radar (LLLR-I) was signed in New Delhi in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, the ministry said.

The radar system can detect and track fighter-sized targets as well as mini and micro drones.

It also has the capability to prioritise aerial targets, enabling the Army to counter threats posed by unmanned aerial systems (UAS), it said.

The procurement is a step towards indigenisation of air defence platforms and is expected to give a boost to India's defence manufacturing ecosystem, including micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

The ministry said the acquisition is in line with the government's vision of Viksit Bharat @2047 and aims to build a "resilient, self-reliant and globally competitive Defence Industry".

The latest contract comes days after the Defence Ministry signed agreements worth ₹4,106 crore for a dedicated communication satellite for the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Varunastra heavy-weight torpedoes for the Indian Navy.

The ministry had on October 15 signed a ₹2,563 crore contract with Bengaluru-based NewSpace India Ltd for the GSAT-7C satellite and a ₹1,543 crore agreement with Hyderabad-headquartered Bharat Dynamics Ltd for Varunastra torpedoes.

The indigenously designed, developed and manufactured GSAT-7C satellite is intended to provide dedicated communication capabilities to the IAF, enhancing the "secure, resilient & seamless communication capabilities" of its assets, the ministry had said.

Varunastra, an indigenous ship-launched anti-submarine torpedo developed by the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory, is equipped with advanced manoeuvring capabilities and can engage enemy submarines at long ranges, strengthening the Navy's anti-submarine warfare capability.