Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Monday said that the force is contemplating fighting capability transformation through restructuring and induction of modern weapons, with ₹10,500 crore worth contracts for range-enhancing ammunition for Pinaka rocket systems is in the pipeline. Another deal for 307 Advanced Towed Away Guns (ATAGS), valued at ₹8,000 crore, is expected to be finalised before the end of this financial year, the Chief of Army Staff said to give a glimpse of acquisitions lined up.

Addressing media at the annual day press conference, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, however, also said the situation at Line of Actual Control (LAC) was “stable but sensitive” after the disengagement and resuming of patrolling at friction points in Eastern Ladakh.

For Pinaka rocket systems we are for buying ammunitions that will give us more range. We are going to sign contract for High explosive pre-fragmented ammunition valued at ₹6,000 crore and another deal for area denial munition worth ₹4500 crore, General Dwivedi told reporters.

He also shared that the Indian Army is looking for 354 Zorawar light tanks which are now undergoing trials. Expression of interest for the light tank was issued in April 2023 which is going to cost ₹17,000 crore.

“As of now we are looking at 295 as part of Make 1 and 59 as part of the DRDO initiative… It has already carried out high altitude trials and I spoke to the DG of DRDO who is dealing with the subject. As of today when we speak it is making journey back to Chennai. And after the improvement which has been suggested during these trials we will see the new version and there after we will carry out more trials on the subject, the Army said giving updates on it.

On the conventional T-72 tanks whose major upgrades are delayed, the Army Chief said there were slippages earlier on the part of the defence PSU Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (AVNL) but he added that now the government company has enhanced its capacity from 120 tanks to 150 and this will go up further to 200 tanks per year.

Two Army base workshops

Two Army base workshops have been nominated for overhaul and the situation is under control, he emphasised.

The Army chief endorsed Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh’s view articulated during a function earlier that there is no dearth of money. In fact, Army’s wish list is being met.

The Army Chief, however, said that the money allocated for construction of the 4.1-km long Shinku La tunnel, which is meant to reduce the distance between Manali and Leh by 60 km, is being returned to Ministry of Defence.

For modernisation of the land force, the Army is now getting emergency procurement powers, initially given post Galwan face off with China in 2020 in Eastern Ladakh to fill capability gaps, for the counter terrorism operations in Jammu and Kashmir, which has now additional 15000 troop deployment.

Given the challenges of modern warfare, the Indian Army is continuing with the force restructuring as it’s in the process of raising information operation groups, combat units and manned and unmanned teams.

He also said the Army’s initiative to raise Integrated Battle Group (IBG) will get a final response from the government towards the end of 2025.