The Cabinet Committee on Security on Wednesday cleared major deals worth Rs 80,000 with the US which would see India boost its surveillance capabilities of its defence forces with the acquisition of 31 Predator drones and bolster its naval arsenal with two nuclear-powered conventional strike submarines (SSNs), which will be built indigenously.
Government sources said the Indian Navy will soon add the two nuclear-powered attack submarines to its fleet of submarines.
The ₹45,000 crore deal for building two nuclear submarines at the Ship Building Centre in Visakhapatnam will involve significant participation from private sector firms like Larsen and Toubro, news agency ANI said in their report.
It also said that submarines are crucial to addressing gaps in underwater capabilities and further added that these submarines, which are going to be built under the ambitious Project Advanced Technology Vessel project, are separate from the five nuclear submarines being built under the Arihant class at the same location.
India possesses three nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) as part of its nuclear triad, which ensures land, air, and sea-based deterrence. These submarines include the INS Arihant, INS Arighat, and the S4.
Sources said India’s acquisition of 31 MQ-9B Predator drones includes 15 units for the Indian Navy and 8 each for the Indian Army and Air Force.
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