The year 2021 can be seen as a year that provided the necessary impetus to the "Make In India" programme in the defence sector. Last week Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that India had clearly conveyed to the US, Russia, France and many of its partner countries that military platforms and weapons required by the Indian armed forces to confront myriad security challenges have to be manufactured on Indian soil. Year Ender 2021: From CRED to PharmEasy And More, Startups That Entered The Billion Dollar Club in The Year of Unicorns.

During early December 2021, India also conducted a series of tests of indigenously developed weapons and devices, including Vertical Launch - Short Range Surface to Air Missile, Pinaka extended Range trial and Stand Off Tank Missile (SANT). This year, number of defence equipment were commissioned into the forces under the "Make-in-India" programme. Year Ender 2021: From IAF Chopper Crash to Devastating COVID-19 Second Wave, Tragedies That Shook India This Year.

Here Is The List Of Defence Equipment Commissioned Into The Indian Defence Forces In 2021:

INS Karanj: The third Kalavari-class submarine INS Karanj was commissioned into the Indian Navy in March this year. All the six Kalavari-class diesel-electric submarines were based on Scorpene design. The induction ceremony of INS Karanj was held at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai. It has the best sonar and does not make noise. The motto of the submarine is "Nitya Nirghosh and Nirbhik". It can carry 18 torpedoes.

INS Vela: INS Vela, the fourth submarine in the series of six submarines of Project-75, was commissioned on November 25 in the presence of Admiral Karambir Singh, Chief of the Naval Staff. The formal commissioning ceremony took place at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai. The Scorpene Class submarines are being built in India by the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) Mumbai. It has the ability to camouflage itself from predators.

INS Vishakhapatnam: INS Visakhapatnam was commissioned into the Indian Navy in the presence of Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai on November 21. INS Visakhapatnam is a P15B stealth-guided missile destroyer. It is indigenously designed by the Indian Navy's in-house organisation Directorate of Naval Design and constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai.

Light Combat Helicopter: Prime Minister Narendra Modi handed over HAL-produced indigenous Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) to the Indian Air Force (IAF) on November 19. The helicopter was received by the Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari. LCH is the dedicated combat helicopter and take-off at an altitude of 5000 metres.

Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon: Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW) is a long-range precision-guided anti-airfield weapon developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It is designed to be capable of engaging ground targets with high precision up to a range of 100 kilometres. It was handed over to the Indian Air Force (IAF) by the Defence Minister earlier this month.

Apart from the above-mentioned defence equipment, The government has approved the plan for the production of over five lakh AK-203 assault rifles at Korwa in Amethi. The project, worth Rs 5,100 crore, is in partnership with Russia. Sources said that this endeavour reflects the deepening ties between the two countries in the defence sector.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 20, 2021 06:45 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).