Government has formally approved the National Intelligence Grid, (NATGRID) project and asked the Home Ministry to proceed accordingly. The project will facilitate robust information sharing by security agencies and law enforcement agencies to combat terror threat at home and abroad.The aim of NATGRID is to ensure a readily available and real time information sharing platform between intelligence, law enforcement and other agencies. Our correspondent reports that the NATGRID is planning to link 21 categories of databases maintained by different public and private agencies for ready access by the country’s intelligence agencies, as information gathering and its timely distribution is an essential part of Crisis Management Strategies of any nation.On the direction of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), a detailed briefing and presentation about the NATGRID project along with safeguards and oversight mechanisms was given by Home Ministry to the members of the CCS in New Delhi on day.Earlier, the government has decided to extend the service of Chief Executive Officer of Natgrid Raghu Raman for six months beginning 1st of June.Meanwhile, the Cabinet Committee on Security, CCS, on Monday cleared the 18000 crore rupees mega deal to purchase ten C-17 heavy lift military aircraft from the US. This is the biggest-ever defence deal to be entered between the two countries.Defence Ministry officials said in New Delhi on Monday, the CCS meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh cleared the proposal for purchase of the planes from the US through the Foreign Military Sales route. Under the deal, the US defence major Boeing, the manufacturer of the aircraft, will have to invest 30 per cent of the contract amount for setting up defence facilities in India.AIR correspondent reports, after finalising the initial deal for 10 aircraft, the IAF is also planning to place orders for additional six C-17s.The C-17 will be the second American airlifter in the IAF transport fleet, which recently inducted the C-130 J Super Hercules. The four-engine C-17 aircraft can lift two T-90 tanks and artillery guns and are used for rapid strategic airlift of troops and cargo to operating bases throughout the world.It can also perform tactical airlift, medical evacuation and airdrop missions. The aircraft has the capacity to carry over 130 fully-equipped combat ready troops.In the recent past, India had finalised defence deals worth over eight billion US Dollars, including the C-130J, C-17, P-8I and Harpoon anti-ship missiles. Several more multi-billion dollar deals are in the pipeline for being cleared in the near future.