In the first project to be finalised under the industry-funded Make in India scheme of the defence ministry, an Odisha-based company has signed a contract to supply expendable aerial targets to the Army and Air Force, with officials acknowledging it as a critical landmark that will pave the way for more such opportunities.
The contract to supply 125 of the Manoeuvrable Expendable Aerial Targets (MEAT) and associated equipment, under the Make in India II category – which is meant for research and development projects funded by the industry with an indigenous content of over 50% – was signed this week. This category was introduced as a major step towards engaging the industry in 2016.
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“It is the first contract under Make II. Efforts are being made to drive industry-led research and development in the defence sector,” said Sanjay Jaju, additional secretary-defence production, Ministry of Defence. The contract has been signed with Gopalpur, Odisha-based company Anadrone Systems Private Ltd.
While the value of the contract at ₹96 crore is low when compared to typical defence contracts, the competition saw the Odisha company pitching its product against defence giant Larsen and Toubro. The Shikra MEAT system being manufactured by the company is a localised version of the Banshee Jet 40 system that has earlier been imported by the armed forces.
“The Shikra target solution was the only system able to demonstrate its ability to meet or exceed all of the required operational and performance requirements of the Indian Army and Anadrone was selected as a single source vendor,” an Anadrone executive said, adding that at least 50% of the product supplied would have indigenous content.
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The company has till now supplied over 600 aerial targets from its Odisha factory in partnership with a UK firm. The Shikra is an aerial target designed to be used over land and sea for training of crew on air defence weapon systems. The expendable drone can be manoeuvred at subsonic speeds to simulate an incoming target for air defence weapons.
