Mahindra Defence Systems Limited (MDS) has bagged a major defence deal from the Indian government for the manufacturing of Integrated Anti-Submarine Warfare Defence Suite (IADS) for the Indian navy. The Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd group company signed a contract worth Rs 1,349.95 crore for manufacturing of 14 IADS systems for modern warships of the Indian Navy with the Union Defence Ministry on August 27.
The system will enhance the anti-submarine warfare capability of the Indian Navy. The IADS comes with an integrated capability for detecting enemy submarines and torpedoes at extended ranges as well as diverting incoming torpedoes fired by enemy submarines. It is high-end underwater equipment designed to detect underwater threats and protest the ships from them. According to a statement issued by Mahindra Defence, the complex array of sensors in water undertakes surveillance, and provides inputs for signal processing and analysis, to enable necessary action.
The company informed that competitive bids from Indian companies were invited by the defence ministry through open tender, wherein the systems fielded were put through detailed trials at sea to prove their capability. Mahindra Defence said that the company was qualified in the tender by proving the capability of the system through comprehensive testing by the Indian MoD in actual operations at sea. After the technical qualification, the company was declared the winner of the commercial bid.
The company added that it would be supplying 14 IADS systems for the Indian Navy warships. “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 Systems Ltd Chairman SP Shukla said.
In a statement, the defence ministry said that 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 the indigenous defence industry in technology development and production. “The MoD has continued to demonstrate its resolve to augment the ‘Make in India’ initiative of the Government and the resolve of the country to become ‘Atmanirbhar’ in advance technologies with induction of multiple equipment through home-grown defence industry,” the ministry added. Mahindra Defence Systems Limited had tied up with UK based Ultra Electronics for manufacturing of underwater warfare equipment for the Indian Navy.
