The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), under the chairmanship of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, approved the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for three capital acquisition proposals.
- The AoN accorded by the DAC includes the procurement of HELINA Anti-Tank Guided Missiles, VSHORAD (IR Homing) Missile System, Brahmos Launcher and Fire Control System (FCS) for the Shivalik class of ships & Next Generation Missile Vessels (NGMVs) for Indian Navy. All three defence capital acquisition proposals are under the Buy (Indian-IDDM) category.
HELINA Anti-Tank Guided Missiles
- HELINA (Helicopter-based NAG) is a third-generation fire-and-forget class anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) system.
- The indigenously developed missile system sees its usage by being mounted on Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH).
- HELINA Missile system can defeat battle tanks with conventional and explosive reactive armour in all weather conditions, day and night. It is also capable of engaging targets in both direct hit and top attack mode.
- The approval of AoN for HELINA ATGM, its launchers and associated support equipment comes as a vital decision as the missile is an essential part of the weaponisation of ALH to counter enemy threats.
VSHORADS
- VSHORADS, which stands for Very Short Range Air Defence System, is a missile system which incorporates many novel technologies including a miniaturized Reaction Control System (RCS) and integrated avionics.
- Designed and developed indigenously by DRDO’s Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad in collaboration with other DRDO laboratories and Indian Industry Partners, VSHORADS is a Man Portable Air Defence System (MANPAD).
- The VSHORADS missile, which is designed to counter low-altitude aerial threats at short ranges, is propelled by dual thrust solid motor. The missile’s design, including the launcher, has been highly optimised for portability.
