New Delhi | The defence ministry on Wednesday signed a Rs 449-crore contract with a firm for the procurement of 20 enhanced capability Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) jammers for the Indian Navy, officials said.

The contract has been signed under the 'Buy (Indian-Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured)' category, the ministry said. The eventual induction of the jammers would pave the way for safe operations by the Navy's ships in a multi-threat environment, it added.

The ministry has signed a contract with Accord Software and Systems Private Limited (ASSPL), Bengaluru, for the "procurement of 20 Enhanced Capability Global Navigation Satellite System (ECGNSS) Jammers for the Indian Navy at a total cost of Rs 449 crore, with minimum 75 per cent indigenous content," it said.

It was inked in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh in New Delhi.

"The system's capabilities include degrading the satellite signal acquisition and tracking performance of the adversary GNSS receiver and signal spoofing or deceptive jamming," the statement said.

The contract reinforces the government's commitment to Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make-in-India while bolstering the maritime security architecture of the country. It marks a critical milestone in the ongoing efforts to bolster defence capabilities and indigenise advanced military technology, it said.