With a variety of drones, artillery guns, unmanned ground vehicles, surveillance equipment, and armoured personnel carriers on exhibit before 30 countries on Tuesday, Indian vendors highlighted advancements in the defence manufacturing industry.
The 13th Indo-Pacific Armies Chiefs Conference (IPACC) side event included a variety of drones, including loitering munitions, multi-payload drones, nano UAVs, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.
The Indian Air Force has received the Tata Advanced Systems Limited-built ALS-50 loitering munition.
Six high explosive pre-fragmented warheads can be carried by each ALS-50, and 100 have already been supplied to the IAF with more on the way, according to officials with knowledge of the situation. The army has purchased two varieties of nano UAVs, Doot and Parush, made by the Greater Noida-based IDR Research and Development, for its counterterrorism forces stationed in Jammu and Kashmir. Doot, which is palm-sized, weighs 350 grammes.
Additionally on show were ideaForge’s Switch UAVs for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, as well as the multi-mission Bharat 150 drones from Kalyani Group.
The MaRG 155mm/39-calibre artillery guns from Kalyani Strategic Systems, the Bharat 155mm/52-calibre ultra-light howitzers, the Garuda 105mm/37-calibre guns, long-range observation systems, and wheeled and tracked unmanned ground vehicles were among the other pieces of military equipment on display.
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An official who wished to remain unnamed remarked, “The hardware displayed holds export potential and some Indo-Pacific armies may be interested.”
A multi-pronged self-reliance initiative in India’s defence sector is typified by a strong export push and a historic reduction in imports.
Currently, India exports military gear to over 85 nations, with about 100 indigenous companies participating. Its exports include a range of radars, surveillance systems, ammunition, armoured vehicles, offshore patrol vessels, rockets, artillery guns, missiles, and armoured vehicles.
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By 2024–2025, India has set a target for defence exports of 35,000 crore, which analysts believe the nation can achieve.
Due to legislative changes and reforms, India’s military exports have substantially increased while imports have decreased. Between 2013–14 and 2022–23, exports increased 23 times (from 686 to 16,000 crore), while expenditures on imported weapons and systems fell from 46% of overall spending in 2018–19 to 36.7% in December 2022.
