The Defence Ministry has Accorded In–Principle (AIP) approval to four projects under Make–I, government funded, and five under Make–II, industry–funded, categories of Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020 which includes development of a light tank for the Army and communication equipment for the Indian Air Force (IAF).
 
“The industry will be provided financial support for prototype development of these projects,” the Ministry said on Thursday.
The projects which were accorded the AIP by the Collegiate Committee of the MoD include IAF Communication Equipment with Indian security protocols (routers, switches, encryptors, VoIP phones and their software), airborne electro optical pod with ground based system, airborne stand–off jammer and light tank for the Army. 
 
This is for the first time since the launch of the industry–friendly DAP-2020 that the Indian Industry has been involved in development of big ticket platforms such as light tank and communication equipment with Indian security protocols, it said. 
 
The AIP has also been accorded to the following five projects under industry–funded Make–II procedure which include full motion simulator for Apache and Chinook helicopters and wearable robotic equipment for aircraft maintenance for the IAF. The Army’s projects include integrated surveillance and targeting system for mechanised forces and autonomous combat vehicle. 
 
Projects under ‘Make–II’ category involve prototype development of equipment, system, platform or their upgrades or their sub–systems, sub–assembly, assemblies and components primarily for import substitution and innovative solutions, for which no government funding will be provided for prototype development, the Ministry said.