MoD inks Rs 5,083 crore contracts for ALH Mk-III (MR) & VL-Shtil missiles

• On 03 March 2026, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed two capital acquisition contracts worth a combined Rs 5,083 crore — six ALH Mk-III (Maritime Role) helicopters for the Indian Coast Guard and VL-Shtil surface-to-air missiles for the Indian Navy.
• Importance for UPSC: live example of the "Buy (Indian-IDDM)" procurement category, Aatmanirbhar Bharat in Defence, layered naval air defence, and Indo-Russian defence cooperation.