Nearly two months after air defence missiles played a key role in thwarting threats from Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, the Ministry of Defence has approved the procurement of more such weapons along with 12 specialised warships that can lay mines undersea and even detect them. In military parlance, these are called surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) and are fired from the ground at airborne targets such as drones, planes and jets. The SAMs are mated with air defence radars that direct the missiles towards incoming targets.

During Operation Sindoor, Pakistan fired hundreds of drones and missiles at India, which were shot down by the layered air defence system that included the SAMs.

The SAMs are part of the acquisition proposals amounting to nearly Rs 1.05 lakh crore, a process to be undertaken through indigenous sourcing. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the apex decision-making body on procurements in the MoD, chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, today accorded the acceptance of necessity (AoN) for the purchase of 10 separate equipment for the forces.

Source: TNS