The Indian Army has signed a major procurement contract to acquire 1.86 lakh bulletproof jackets after the successful completion of field evaluation trials. The deal has reportedly been signed at a cost of Rs. 639 crore.
Rs 639 crore contract for 1,86,138 bullet-proof jackets inked with indigenous defence manufacturer SMPP Pvt Ltd
— Times of India (@timesofindia) April 9, 2018
The Indian Army, in a statement has said, “A major contract through capital procurement route, for procurement of 1,86,138 bulletproof jackets (BPJs) has been signed. The impending requirement of the Indian Army for effective BPJs has been met after successful conduct of stringent field evaluation trials.”
The Army added that the BPJs will have state of the art specifications with added protection level. They are equipped to provide best protection and flexibility to soldiers under operation at different situations form long distance patrolling to high-risk indoor intervention scenarios. The BPJs will provide 360 degrees protection and are designed to resist even hard steel core bullets.
And here’s a statement by private Indian firm SMPP Pvt Ltd that has bagged the ₹693 crore Army bullet proof jacket contract. pic.twitter.com/7J3FMr5lAK
— Livefist (@livefist) April 9, 2018
The army had a projected requirement of a total 3.53 lakh jackets. Last year, the Army had procured 50,000 jackets on an urgent basis.
The army has stated that the procurement will boost the confidence of the soldiers and will help in the moral ascendancy of the security forces.
The jackets will be procured from the Indian defence manufacturer SMPP Pvt Ltd. The company specialises in bulletproof solutions and have already supplied bulletproof jackets to the Indian Air Force and commandoes of Indian Navy. The company is expected to start delivery soon.
