*New Delhi:* The Defence Ministry on Monday signed a contract with adefence firm for procurement of 1.86 lakh bullet proof jackets for the Armyat a cost of Rs 639 crore.

The agreement comes nine years after the Army first made a request for morethan 1.86 lakh bulletproof jackets. In a statement, the ministry said thecontract was finalised after “successful” field evaluation trials.

The contract has been bagged by indigenous defence manufacturer SMPP PvtLtd. “A major contract through capital procurement route, for procurementof 1,86,138 Bullet Proof Jackets (BPJs) has been signed,” it said. It saidthe new BPJs will provide “360 degree protection” to the soldier in combat,including from hard “steel core” bullets.

“These bulletproof jackets will have ‘boron carbide ceramic’ which is thelightest material for ballistic protection. This makes SMPP BPJs the bestof the class and will be able to provide ballistic protection at the lowestpossible weight,” Chairman and Managing Director of SMPP S C Kansal said.

The company said the size of the contract is Rs 639 crore. The DefenceMinistry said the new BPJs will boost the confidence of soldiers.

It said the indigenously developed BPJs will give new impetus to the ‘Makein India’ initiative of the government and provide confidence that Indianindustry is capable of fulfilling the requirements of the armed forces.