The 10-year contract between the defence ministry and BEL has been signed for the procurement of electronic fuzes for Indian Army.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed a landmark contract with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) in Pune worth Rs 5,336.25 crore for the procurement of electronic fuzes for the Indian Army. The contract, signed on Friday, will span over the next 10 years and comes under the "Manufacture of Ammunition for Indian Army by Indian Industry" initiative by the central government.

      The contract aims to build up the Indian Army's ammunition stocks.

      Electronic fuzes are a crucial component of medium to heavy calibre artillery guns. These are integral to providing artillery firepower for military operations. The fuzes will be procured for usage in artillery guns, which are capable of lethal engagement.

      This news comes days after the defence ministry approved a Rs 2,800 crore proposal for buying around 6,400 rockets for Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher systems.