Indian Armed Forces To Get 1.86 Lakh New Bulletproof Jackets By 2020 As Defence Ministry Plugs Shortage

Faced with the shortage of bullet-proof jackets for armed forces Defence Minister Rajnath Singh informed Rajya Sabha on Monday (8 July) that there are plans to procure 1.86 lakh jackets by April 2020 for Rs 639 crore, reports Press Trust of India.

The procurement of bullet proof jacket has been fast tracked by the government while maintaining strict quality control process. Till date, DGQA quality checks have been completed and 10,000 bulletproof jackets have already been procured. 27,000 more jackets would be procured by October.

The Defence minister speaking in parliament said, "The total value of the contract for procurement of 1,86,138 bulletproof jackets is Rs 638.97 crore, which will be supplied by 8 April 2020."

The minister further stressed that bullet-proof jackets being protection equipment and will go through strict General Staff Qualitative Requirement (GSQR) before being handed over to the Indian Army.

The deal also has a Make In India clause and 30 per cent of the material used in producing the jackets would have to be procured ingeniously.