New Delhi, Apr 7 (PTI) The defence ministry on Monday signed a contract worth nearly Rs 2,385 crore with Bharat Electronics Limited for acquisition of state-of-the-art electronic warfare (EW) suites and aircraft modification kits and their installation in Mi-17 V5 helicopters for the Indian Air Force.

This key suite will considerably enhance operational survivability of the helicopters in hostile environment, the ministry said in a statement.

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The ministry said it has signed a contract with Bharat Electronics Limited, Bengaluru for the acquisition of electronic warfare suites and aircraft modification kits, as well as their installation in Mi-17 V5 helicopters along with associated equipment for the Indian Air Force, at an overall cost of Rs 2,385.36 crore.

The contract, under Buy (Indian-Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured) category, was inked in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh in New Delhi.

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The majority of sub-assemblies and parts will be sourced from indigenous manufactures, the ministry said.

The project will boost and encourage active participation of Indian electronics and associated industries, including MSMEs.

The suite for Mi-17 V5 is a significant leap forward in developing indigenous EW capabilities, making the country 'Aatmanirbhar' in consonance with the Make-in-India initiative, the statement said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)