India to buy NBC equipment worth Rs 2000 crore

New Delhi, Feb 19 (UNI) Amid increased threats of weapons of mass destruction falling into the hands of non-state actors, India has decided to buy sophisticated equipment worth Rs 2000 crore to counter nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) terrorism and covert attacks.

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Chief Controller (Research and Development) Dr W Selvamurthy said the equipment would enable troops to operate in an NBC battlefield.

Addressing a news conference here, he said the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) of the Defence Ministry had cleared the purchase.

He said the Government has given its nod to go ahead with the purchase of the equipment, which would help in evacuating the soldiers caught in an NBC battlefield.

With the clearance, Dr Selvamurthy said the DRDO would provide the armed forces with 60 different types of equipment to enable them to fight in the NBC environment.

He said the DRDO had already provided the armed forces with NBC equipment worth Rs 700 crore.

Dr Selvamurthy said one British and two Israeli companies have approached the DRDO for the development of such equipment.

''This indicates a reverse trend. Developed countries are now looking towards India for expertise and technologies in the defence sector,'' he added.

Dr Selvamurthy said the DRDO was at an advanced stage of developing unmanned armoured and unmanned communication vehicles, which would also be useful in NBC battlefield.

UNI AG RL RS1810