DAC Clears ₹1.10 Lakh Cr Defence Buys, 98% From Indian Industry

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) gave in-principle approval to military acquisition proposals worth about ₹1.10 lakh crore for the Army, Navy and Air Force, with approximately 98% of the procurements to be sourced from Indian industry, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said on Monday.

The approvals, known as Acceptance of Necessity (AoN), were granted at a meeting chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on September 7, according to the MoD.

An AoN is the initial administrative approval for a proposed acquisition.

Army To Get Mobility And CBRN Equipment

For the Army, the approved proposals include Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Recce Vehicles, High Mobility Vehicles (HMVs), Self-Propelled Mechanical Mine Layers (MMLs), Advanced Light Helicopters (ALHs), Trawl Tanks and the Sarvatra Bridge System, the MoD said.

The ministry said the CBRN vehicles will be capable of “detecting, identifying, monitoring and marking of areas contaminated with CBRN agents”.

HMVs will support operational mobility and logistics in challenging terrain, while MMLs will provide faster mine-laying capability in difficult terrain.

ALHs will be used by the Army and Air Force for complex missions across different terrains and operational situations.

The Trawl Tanks and bridge system will provide crossings for fighting formations during operations in varied terrain, according to the ministry.

Navy Approvals Include Radars And Marine Gas Turbines

For the Navy, the DAC approved the procurement of Arudhra Radars and the design, development and subsequent procurement of Marine Gas Turbines (MGTs), the MoD said.

The Arudhra Radar will replace existing Air Route Surveillance Radars at various naval air stations. MGTs, which are used for warship propulsion, are intended to reduce the Navy’s dependence on foreign vendors.

Air Force Gets Jammers And Secure Access System

The DAC also approved proposals for the Air Force aimed at enhancing the war-fighting capabilities of fighters, transport aircraft and helicopters, according to the ministry.

The council cleared procurement of Ground-Based Multi-Purpose Jammers (GBMPJs) and installation of the Defence Forces Secure Access Card (DEFSAC) System. The ministry said the GBMPJ will provide “effective jamming against radars of adversaries”.

DEFSAC will replace existing paper-based identity cards, passes and permits with an interoperable Radio Frequency Identification-based smart card system, the MoD said.