India’s government has given the go-ahead for the acquisition of $6.5bn in military hardware, including 111 naval helicopters, as New Delhi seeks to upgrade its ageing defence equipment, amid an escalating arms race in Asia.
The move comes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government struggles to fulfil its promise of a $250bn military modernisation, with the purchase of new equipment slowed by strict bidding conditions and a series of scrapped tenders.
Mr Modi’s decision three years ago to cancel an order of 126 Rafale fighter jets — which were to be partially made in India — and instead spend €8bn to buy 36 Rafale jets off the shelf from France has also been contentious, upending what had been a decade-long competitive bidding process.
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