The Defence Acquisition Council has cleared capital acquisition proposals worth about ₹52,000 crore for the Armed Forces, covering air defence, anti-drone systems, missiles, unmanned platforms, naval mine warfare, electric propulsion testing and high-altitude surveillance capability.
The approvals were granted on Wednesday, 3 July under the chairmanship of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The council accorded Acceptance of Necessity to multiple proposals for the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force.
Acceptance of Necessity is the in-principle administrative approval that allows a defence acquisition proposal to move forward in the procurement process.
For the Indian Army, the approved proposals include the Anti-UAV Electronic Warfare System ‘Akash Tarang’, Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile systems, Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile weapon system, Very Short Range Air Defence System, Active Protection System for tanks and a jet-based kamikaze drone system.
The Akash Tarang system is meant to provide anti-UAV protection to Army formations as drone threats become a growing part of modern battlefields.
The MPATGM systems will strengthen infantry units against mechanised threats, while the MRSAM system will provide medium-range air defence against stand-off aerial threats.
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The V-SHORADS proposal will add short-range air defence capability with multi-spectral sensing, aimed at improving resilience against counter-measures.
The Active Protection System will improve the defensive shield of tanks and enhance their survivability in combat.
The jet-based kamikaze drone system adds another unmanned strike capability for the Army. The system is expected to bring higher lethality, better survivability and electronic warfare capability while remaining cost-effective.
For the Indian Navy, the DAC cleared procurement of Multi Influence Ground Mines, Naval Shipborne Unmanned Aerial Systems and the setting up of a Land Based Testing Facility for electric propulsion systems.
The Multi Influence Ground Mine will support sea-denial operations by restricting the adversary’s freedom of manoeuvre. The Naval Shipborne Unmanned Aerial System, equipped with advanced sensors, will enhance maritime situational awareness.
The Land Based Testing Facility will support testing requirements for motors and associated propulsion systems for Indian Naval assets. The proposal comes as the Navy moves towards advanced propulsion technologies for future platforms.
For the Indian Air Force, the DAC approved procurement of Fixed-Wing High Altitude Pseudo Satellite and other proposals.
The FW-HAPS platform will support persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, besides telecommunication and remote sensing roles.
The latest approvals come amid a wider push to strengthen India’s combat readiness across land, sea and air.
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