New Delhi: The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, on Monday, accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for various acquisition proposals of the Defence Forces worth about Rs 1.10 lakh crore.
A key feature of the approvals is the strong focus on domestic procurement, with approximately 98% of the total acquisitions to be made from Indian industry, according to an official statement.
For the Indian Army, the DAC approved procurement of Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Recce Vehicles, High Mobility Vehicles (HMVs), Self-Propelled Mechanical Mine Layers, Advanced Light Helicopters (ALHs), Trawl Tanks and the Sarvatra Bridge System.
The CBRN Recce Vehicles will be used to detect, identify, monitor and mark areas contaminated by CBRN agents. The HMVs are intended to strengthen operational capabilities, logistics support and mobility in challenging terrains.
The MMLs will provide fast and responsive mine-laying capability in difficult terrains. The ALHs will undertake complex missions across different terrains and operational situations for the Indian Army and Indian Air Force.
The Trawl Tanks and Sarvatra Bridge System will support composite crossings for fighting formations during operations across varied terrains.
For the Indian Navy, the DAC granted AoN for Arudhra Radars and for the design and development, followed by procurement of Marine Gas Turbines.
The Arudhra Radars will replace existing Air Route Surveillance Radars at various Naval Air Stations. The Marine Gas Turbines, which are used as warship propulsion systems, are aimed at reducing the Navy’s dependence on foreign vendors.
For the Indian Air Force, approval was granted to proposals aimed at enhancing the war-fighting capabilities of fighter aircraft, transport aircraft and helicopters.
The DAC also approved the procurement of Ground-Based Multi-Purpose Jammers (GBMPJ) and installation of the Defence Forces Secure Access Card (DEFSAC) System.
The GBMPJ will provide jamming capability against adversary radars. The DEFSAC system will replace existing paper-based identity cards, passes and permits with an interoperable Radio Frequency Identification-based smart card system.
The latest approvals cover acquisition requirements across the three services and are aimed at strengthening operational capabilities, mobility, surveillance, electronic warfare and logistics support.
With approximately 98% of the approved procurements planned from Indian industry, the decisions also underline the government’s emphasis on strengthening domestic defence manufacturing and reducing dependence on foreign suppliers.
