What Happened
Indian Army Upgrades Counter-IED Capabilities
The Indian Army is advancing plans to acquire approximately 350 portable stand-off explosive detectors to improve detection of hidden explosives without physical contact. The hand-held systems will detect traces of military, commercial, and improvised explosives, providing results within 30 seconds. This initiative is part of a broader effort to upgrade the Army’s counter-IED capabilities amid ongoing threats from improvised explosive devices. The procurement will follow categories requiring significant indigenous content, with vendors mandated to disclose local manufacturing capacities and components. This development was reported by multiple defense sources, according to the Army’s Combat Engineers Directorate, as part of the Make In India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat programs.