Def Min clears 10 capital acquisition projects worth over Rs 1 lakh crore
New Delhi: The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), headed by Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, gave Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for 10 key capital procurement proposals worth about Rs 1.05 lakh crore, the government announced on Thursday. All the approvals were singularly aimed at indigenous sourcing, reflecting the government’s determination to increase self-reliance in defence production and counter changing security threats.
The proposals include a wide variety of advanced systems aimed at modernising the armed forces. One of the major approvals includes the acquisition of Armoured Recovery Vehicles (ARVs), which will facilitate rapid recovery and repair of combat vehicles damaged in operations, thus enhancing the mobility and survivability of mechanised forces. The DAC also approved the procurement of advanced Electronic Warfare (EW) Systems to provide the Army and Air Force with upgraded capabilities for detection, disruption, and disabling of enemy communications and radar systems, granting tactical advantage in hostile environments. In order to streamline logistics and maximise utilisation of resources within the Army, Navy, and Air Force, the Council sanctioned the introduction of an Integrated Common Inventory Management System (ICIMS).
This tri-service program will digitalise supply chains, eliminate redundancies, and provide real-time monitoring of key assets, enhancing operational readiness considerably. Procurement of future-generation Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAMs) was also approved to enhance India’s air defence infrastructure, offering multi-layered cover against air-borne threats, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and precision-guided weapons.
Maritime safety was given serious consideration, with the clearances of Moored Mines and Mine Counter Measure Vessels (MCMVs). In an earlier report on May 26 this year, Millennium Post had reported that go-ahead had been given to buy 12 cutting-edge Mine Countermeasures Vessels (MCMVs) worth Rs 44,000 crore for the Indian Navy.
These platforms are critical to the defence of naval bases, ports, and sea lanes against sub-sea threats as well as to the protection of merchant ships passing through strategically sensitive
sea routes.
The DAC also approved Super Rapid Gun Mounts for warships to upgrade close-range defence against asymmetric warfare threats and Submersible Autonomous Vessels for stealth reconnaissance and sub-sea surveillance operations.
Consistent with the self-reliance vision of the government, all procurements were classified under the Buy (Indian-Indigenously Designed, Developed, and Manufactured) category.
Not only does this focus on indigenous solutions lower reliance on foreign imports, but it also energises domestic defence innovation, with synergies
between the Armed Forces, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), and private sector partners.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reasserted that these procurements would “substantially contribute to the operational preparedness of our Armed Forces in all domains—land, air, and sea.”
He underlined the DAC’s intent for prioritising technologies that can tackle
existing as well as future battlefield needs along with developing a strong defence industrial base.
