Defence Acquisition Council clears proposals worth ₹2.12 lakh crore
On 26 October, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, granted Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) to capital acquisition proposals worth about ₹2.12 lakh crore for the Army, Navy and Air Force. Around 82% of the value is to be sourced from Indian industry.
Why in news
Indian Army: Self-propelled tracked gun systems for mobile artillery. High Mobility Vehicles for logistics in difficult terrain. Very Short-Range Air Defence Systems (VSHORADS) and Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS) against drones and low-flying threats. Surveillance UAVs, integrated surveillance-and-strike systems and long-range kamikaze (loitering) drones. Gun Shot Response System for real-time situational awareness. Indian Navy: Active Offboard Decoy System (AODS) to divert incoming anti-ship missiles. Indigenously designed and built naval platforms. Indian Air Force: Light multi-role and special utility helicopters. Air defence systems and weapons. Mobile X-band Doppler weather radars for forward areas.
Prelims pointers
- The DAC is chaired by the Defence Minister. It was set up in 2001 after the Group of Ministers' report on national security following the Kargil war.
- Capital procurement follows the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020.
- AoN is only in-principle approval. It is followed by the Request for Proposal, trials, contract negotiation and signing.
- Buy (Indian-IDDM), meaning Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured, is the highest-priority procurement category under DAP 2020.
- A kamikaze or loitering drone carries a warhead and destroys itself on impact with the target.
Mains angle
The list reflects lessons from recent conflicts: drones, counter-drone systems, air defence and precision strike now matter as much as tanks and guns. The 82% domestic share supports Atmanirbhar Bharat, but real indigenisation depends on: Domestic value addition, not just final assembly in India. Faster trials and contract signing after AoN. Indigenous engines, sensors and semiconductors. Budget space for committed future payments.