In a major development, Union Defense Minister Rajnath Singh unveiled on Sunday (9 August) that the Defense Minister is incorporating an import embargo on 101 items beyond the timetable to promote defense indigenisation.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh today announced restrictions on the import of 101 weapons or military platforms, including artillery weapons, attack rifles and transport aircraft, in an important reform initiative to boost the domestic defense industry.
Singh declared that it will be a big move towards self-defence, on Twitter.
The category contains artillery guns, missile destroyers, ship-borne cruise missiles, light combat aircraft, light transport aircraft, long-range land attack cruise missiles, communication satellites, basic trainer aircraft, multi-barrel rocket launchers, a variety of radars, assault rifles, sniper rifles, mini UAVs and different forms of explosives. This covers all styles of radars.
The document also notes that the moratorium begins between 2020 and 2025 for various products.
Singh said that all measures required to ensure that the schedule for the machinery output in the negative import list is achieved will be taken.
He said the ministry has split the capital procurement budget for 2020-21 between domestic and foreign capital procurement routes. “A separate budget head has been created with an outlay of nearly Rs 52,000 crore for domestic capital procurement in the current financial year,” he said.
In May 2020 , the Government announced a number of steps to improve self-reliance in the Defense sector, including the increase in foreign direct investment ( FDI) in defense factories and the establishment of an separate fund to buy local military hardware and the announcement of a list of weapons / equipment not importable.
Singh said the embargo on imports would be progressively implemented between 2020 and 2024. “Our aim is to apprise the Indian defence industry about the anticipated requirements of the armed forces so that they are better prepared to realise the goal of indigenization,” he said.
After consultations with military affairs (DMA), the list of arms banned for import will be checked each year and further products will be included. This implies that India will improve technologies for the platforms and protection systems which appear on the negative import list.
Here is the complete list of the items which are considered to be banned:
1. 120mm Fin Stabilised Armour Piercing Discarding Sabot (FSAPDS) Mark II Ammunition
2. 7.62×51 Sniper Rifle
3. Tracked Self Propelled (SP) Gun (155mm x 52 Cal)
4. Towed Artillery Gun (155mm x 52 Cal)
5. Short Range Surface to Air Missiles (Land variant)
6. Shipborne Cruise Missiles
7. Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) (Pinaka Variant)
8. Simulators Presenting Smart Ranges And Multi-Function Targets
9. Battalion Support Weapons Simulators
10. Container-based Simulators for Live Fire Training
11. Tailor-made Simulators for Counter Insurgency (CI)/Counter Terrorism (CT) based Training
12. Force-on-force Live Tactical Simulators / Infantry Weapon
13. Tank Simulators (driving, as well as, crew gunnery)
14. 155mm/39 Cal Ultra-Light Howitzer
15. Successor of Flycatcher & Upgraded Super Fledermaus (USFM) / Air Defence Fire Control Radar (ADFCR)
16. Component Level Repair Facility for Tank T-90
17. Shipborne Close in Weapon System
18. Bullet Proof Jackets
19. Ballistic Helmets
20. Missile Destroyers
21. Multi-Purpose Vessel
22. Offshore Patrol Vessel
23. Next Generation Missile Vessels
24. Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Crafts
25. Water Jet Fast Attack Craft
26. Ammunition Barges
27. 50ton Bollard – Pull Tugs
28. Survey Vessels
29. Floating Dock
30. Diving Support Vessels
31. Pollution Control Vessels
32. Anti-Submarine Rocket Launchers
33. Shipborne Medium Range Gun
34. Torpedo Tube Launcher for Light Weight Torpedoes
35. Magneto – Rheological Anti Vibration Mounts
36. All variants of Depth Charges
37. Shipborne Sonar System for Large Ships
38. Hull Mounted Submarine Sonar
39. Short Range Maritime Reconnaissance Aircraft
40. Anti-Submarine Rocket
41. Chaff Rockets
42. Chaff Rocket Launcher
43. Integrated Ship’s Bridge System
44. Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) MK I A – Enhanced Indigenised Content
45. Light Combat Helicopters
46. General Purpose Pre Fragmentation Bombs between 250-500 Kg
47. Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) for Transport Aircraft
48. Ground Based Mobile ELINT System
49. Transport Aircraft (Light)
50. GSAT-6 Satellite Terminals
51. Aerial Delivery Systems for Transport Aircraft
52. Digital Tropo Scatter/LOS Communication System
53. Low Level Transportable Radar
54. High Power Radar (HPR)
55. CBRN Detection & Monitoring System
56. CBRN Decontamination & Protection System
57. Parachute Tactical Assault (PTA)- G2
58. Dragunov Upgrade System
59. PKMG Upgrade System
60. Simulators for A Vehicles / B Vehicles
61. Simulators for Towed and Self Propelled Guns of Air Defence
62. Simulators for Correction of Fire by Observers
63. Military trucks of 4×4 and above variants: 12×12, 10×10, 8×8, 6×6
64. Fixed Wing Mini UAVs
65. 500 Ton Self Propelled Water Barges
66. Software Defined Radio (TAC) for IN
67. Next Generation Maritime Mobile Coastal Battery (Long Range)
68. Advance Landing Ground Communication Terminals (ALGCTs)for AGLs
69. Field Artillery Tractor (FAT) 6X6 for Medium Guns
70. Wheeled Armoured Fighting Vehicle (AFV)
71. Light Machine Gun
72. 125 mm Fin Stabilised Armour Piercing Discarding Sabot (FSAPDS) New Generation Ammunition
73. Assault Rifle 7.62 x 39mm
74. 30 mm Ammunition for Infantry Fighting Systems
75. Mine Fragmentation
76. Mine Anti-tank
77. Mine Anti-Personnel Blast
78. Multipurpose Grenade
79. Inertial Navigation System for Ship Application
80. Conventional Submarines
81. 40mm UBGL (Under Barrel Grenade Launcher)
82. Lightweight Rocket Launcher
83. 155 mm Artillery Ammunition
84. EW Systems
85. Material Handling Crane 2.5 to 7.5 Tons (Vehicle Mounted)
86. GRAD BM Rocket
87. 30MM HEI/HET
88. ASTRA-MK I Beyond Visual Range Air to Air Missile (BVR AAM)
89. EW Suit for MI-17 V5
90. Communication Satellite GSAT-7C
91. Satellite GSAT 7R
92. Basic Trainer Aircraft (BTA)
93. Expendable Aerial Targets
94. Small Jet Engines with 120kgf thrust
95. Light Low Level Terrain Radar (LLLWR)
96. Close in Weapon System (Land based)
97. 23 mm ZU Ammunitions
98. 30mm VOG 17
99. Electronic Fuses for Artillery Ammunitions
100. Bi- Modular Charge System (BMCS )
101. Long Range – Land Attack Cruise Missile
