DAC Approves ₹2.12 Lakh Crore Defence Proposals, With 82% to Come From Indian Industry

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, has granted Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) to capital acquisition proposals worth about ₹2.12 lakh crore for the Army, Navy and Air Force. The approvals were given at a DAC meeting on Monday.

The cleared equipment includes helicopters, artillery, air defence weapons, surveillance drones, kamikaze drones, counter-drone systems and naval platforms. According to the Ministry of Defence, roughly 82 percent of the approved procurement will be sourced from Indian industry, which supports the Aatmanirbhar Bharat push and domestic defence manufacturing.

Army: guns, drones and air defence

For the Army, the DAC cleared:

• High Mobility Vehicles

• Self-Propelled Tracked Gun Systems

• Gun Shot Response Systems

• Light Multi Role Helicopters

• Very Short-Range Air Defence Systems (VSHORADS)

• Platform-based Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems

• Unmanned Aerial System Brick Long Range

• Surveillance UAVs

• Integrated Surveillance and Strike Systems

• Long-range kamikaze drone systems

The High Mobility Vehicles are meant to improve logistics and troop movement over difficult terrain, while the tracked guns will give mechanised units more firepower and mobility. The Gun Shot Response System is expected to give troops real-time awareness of where fire is coming from. The Light Multi Role Helicopters are planned for both the Army and the Air Force, for reconnaissance, surveillance, combat, search and rescue, and relief operations. VSHORADS will help guard against small aerial threats, and the counter-drone systems are aimed at protecting tanks from drones. The drone approvals reflect the growing role of unmanned warfare and precision targeting.

Navy: missile decoys and new platforms

The Navy got approval for Active Offboard Decoy Systems (AODS), which are meant to make its countermeasures against modern anti-ship missiles more effective. The DAC also cleared major naval platforms that will be designed and built in India. They will carry modern warfare capabilities and improve the Navy’s readiness, especially in the Indian Ocean Region.

Air Force: helicopters, weapons and radar

The Air Force will get Special Utility Helicopters for air transport across different terrains, additional air defence systems and weapons, and Mobile X-Band Doppler Weather Radar Systems. The radars will provide detailed, localised weather information in forward areas, helping operational planning and flying in difficult weather.

What AoN means

An Acceptance of Necessity is an in-principle administrative approval, not a signed contract. The proposals still have to go through the rest of the acquisition process before contracts are finalised. Once completed, the purchases are expected to strengthen land, sea and air capabilities and give Indian defence manufacturers significant business.