On Monday, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved proposals totaling ₹ 1.1 lakh crore aimed at enhancing the capabilities of the Indian armed forces. The approved measures include upgrades to the war-fighting capabilities of fighter jets, transport aircraft, and helicopters. Additionally, the proposals feature the procurement of new advanced light helicopters and chemical biological radiological and nuclear (CBRN) reconnaissance vehicles for the army. The navy will also benefit from the acquisition of Arudhra radars, as confirmed by the defence ministry.
The DAC, headed by defence minister Rajnath Singh, also accorded its Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for a ground-based multi-purpose jammer (GBMPJ) for the IAF, the design, development, and subsequent procurement of marine gas turbines (MGT) for the navy, and high mobility vehicles for the army. The plan to boost the Indian Air Force’s capabilities includes a pilot project to integrate Russian-origin RVV BD long-range air-to-air missiles with Sukhoi-30 fighters, people aware of the matter said.
“Of the total AoNs accorded, approximately 98% of procurements will be made from the Indian Industry,” the defence ministry said.
The systems cleared for the army include trawl tanks and the Sarvatra bridge system. The proposals were approved by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The government aims to achieve defence manufacturing worth ₹ 3 lakh crore by 2029-30 — in 2025-26, India achieved defence production worth ₹ 1.8 lakh crore. Earlier reporting noted: The Defence Ministry on Monday cleared military procurement proposals worth Rs 1.10 lakh crore to boost advanced light helicopters, radars, mechanical mine layers and electronic warfare systems for the Army, Navy and Air Force.
The GBMPJ will provide effective jamming against radars of adversaries; the CBRN recce vehicles will be capable of detecting, identifying, monitoring and marking areas contaminated with CBRN agents; and Arudhra radars will replace the existing air route surveillance radars at various naval air stations and MGT, a warship propulsion system, will reduce dependency on foreign vendors, the defence ministry said. These systems “will provide composite crossings to fighting formations during operations in varied terrains,” the defence ministry said in a statement.
Earlier reporting noted: The proposals were approved by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Earlier reporting noted: The proposals were approved by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, as part of efforts to boost the armed forces’ operational capabilities and strengthen self-reliance in defence manufacturing.
