Context

• Recently, Defence Ministry has sanctioned a set of new financial powers for emergency procurements to the Indian Armed Forces to ensure operational preparedness. They have been given a free hand to procure equipment worth up to Rs. 300 crore on a priority basis.
• According to it, the Army is in the process of procuring Spike-LR Anti-Tank Missiles from Israel and Igla-S Very Short Range Air Defence Systems (VSHORAD) from Russia. Entirely new systems not in use can also be procured under the new powers.

About

• The Vice Chiefs of the Army, Navy and the Indian Air Force were granted additional financial powers to carry out specific procurement.
• In the wake of the Pulwama terror attack, the government has granted emergency powers to the Army, Navy and the Indian Air Force to procure critical weapons and equipment (from a single vendor) to help them effectively deal with any hostilities along the border with Pakistan.
• Deliveries under the emergency route have to be completed in three to six months.
• Relaxations in certain rules were made to cut delays in military purchase.
• For the procurement under the emergency orders, the forces need not even take concurrence of the Integrated Financial Advisor from the defence finance department.

Spike-LR Anti-Tank Missiles (Israel)	Igla-S (Russia)
Portable anti-armour weapon system, which can be operated in fire-and-forget mode and in fire, observe and update mode using the fibre-optic data link.	It is expected to replace the IGLA M systems of Russia that is being used since the 1980s.
It is used by infantry and light combat vehicles.	It is the latest model of Russian MANPADS (Man-portable air-defence system)
It is equipped with a fibre-optic data link guidance system, which sends commands to the missile from the launch system and receives, into the gunner’s field of view, images from the seeker.	Igla-S system is designed for use against visible targets as tactical aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicle, cruise missile, head-on or receding, in the presence of natural (background) clutter and countermeasures.
It can work in non-line-of-sight (NLOS) mode allowing the gunner to operate from a covered position.	The missile is capable of hitting an aerial target at short range.
Maximum range : 4 km (Long range version)	Maximum Target Range: 6km Maximum Target Altitude: 3km