New Delhi: India today said it has signed a $184-million contract with domestic firm Mahindra Defence Systems Limited to supply 14 anti-submarine warfare system to its navy.

The contract, worth Rs 1,340 crore in Indian currency, was signed here under the ‘Buy and Make (Indian)‘ category of defence procurement rules, according to a Ministry of Defence (MoD) statement.

This means Mahindra Defence will tie-up with a foreign vendor for the 14 Integrated Anti-Submarine Warfare Defence Suites and manufacture the same within India, adhering to 50 per cent indigenous content norms.

“The contract with an Indian firm under the ‘Buy and Make (Indian)’ category of defence procurement is an important boost to India’s ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat‘ mission and provides a major fillip to indigenous defence industry in technology development and production,” the statement said.

“The system will enhance anti-submarine warfare capability of Indian Navy.” The IADS, meant for modern warships, comes with an integrated capability for detecting enemy submarines and torpedoes at extended ranges as well as diverting incoming torpedoes fired by enemy submarines.

The MoD has continued to demonstrate its resolve to augment the ‘Make in India’ initiative of the Narendra Modi government and the resolve of the country to become ‘Atmanirbhar’ (Self-Reliant) in advance technologies with induction of multiple equipment through home-grown defence industry, the satement said.

The MoD had invited competitive bids from Indian companies through an open tender, wherein the systems fielded were put through detailed trials at sea to prove their capability.

“IADS is a high-end underwater equipment that uses latest technology. It is designed to detect and protect warships from underwater threats. It is a versatile system capable of operations from all sizes of warships — small, medium, and large,” Mahindra Defence said in its statement.

“The complex array of sensors in water undertakes surveillance, and provides inputs for signal processing and analysis, to enable necessary action.”

This advanced technology system is the first of its kind being developed by an Indian company for the Indian Navy, it said, adding Mahindra Defence qualified by proving the capability of the system through comprehensive testing by the Indian MoD in actual operations at sea before being declared as winner on commercial bid.

“It is the first major contract with the private sector meant for underwater detection and protection from threats. This contract once again epitomises the success of the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative,” Mahindra Defence Chairman S. P. Shukla said.

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