The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, has approved Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for defence procurement proposals totalling almost ₹52,000 crore. The package addresses the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force with an emphasis on counter-drone warfare, layered air defence, precision strike, surveillance and platform survivability.
Major Modernisation Package
The approvals represent one of the latest major steps in India’s military modernisation programme. The proposals are intended to strengthen combat readiness and address emerging threats across land, air and maritime theatres.
However, the DAC’s approval does not mean that contracts have been signed. The projects must still pass through tendering, technical evaluation, commercial negotiations and other procurement stages; high-value acquisitions may also require clearance from the Cabinet Committee on Security.
Army Gets Largest Share
The Indian Army received the largest portion of the approved proposals. Its requirements reflect the growing importance of counter-unmanned aircraft systems, mobile air defence and precision weapons on modern battlefields.
Key Army proposals include:
- Akash-Tarang, an indigenous anti-unmanned aerial vehicle electronic-warfare system.
- Man-portable anti-tank guided missiles.
- Additional Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile systems.
- Very Short-Range Air Defence systems.
- Active Protection Systems for armoured vehicles.
- A jet-based kamikaze or loitering-drone system.
The package is designed to improve the Army’s ability to detect, disrupt and destroy hostile drones, protect troops from aircraft and missiles, defeat armoured vehicles and conduct longer-range precision strikes.
Akash-Tarang Counter-Drone System
Intended to serve as a standalone, electronic-warfare response system against hostile unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the Akash-Tarang system uses 12 electric- and magneto-optical sensors. It tracks the incoming drones and utilizes electronic means to disrupt their flight conduction, navigation or communication.
With relatively cheap drones able to endanger troops, logistic convoys, artillery sites and air-defence sites, however, such systems are becoming ever more needed. Integrating electronic “soft-kill” counter-drone capabilities with physical destruction systems in a layered counter-drone network provides the commander with flexible options to respond according to the nature and magnitude of each threat.
Anti-Tank Missile Procurement
In a nearly ₹2,600 crore proposal, the DAC also approved more than 2,300 indigenously built man-portable anti-tank guided missiles along with 100 launchers and five simulators.
Rudra missiles are being designed and developed by DRDO for production by Bharat Dynamics Limited. They have been labeled as third-generation fire-and-forget systems with imaging-infrared seeker tandem warhead and top-attack capability.
The performance of these capabilities is intended to disrupt the ability for infantry units to counter modern tanks and armoured vehicles, including against targets protected by explosive or composite armour. Milan and Konkurs systems will be gradually replaced by the missiles through fighter infantry formations.
Layered Air Defence
The procurement package also encompasses more Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile systems and Very Short-Range Air Defence systems. Networked with each other, they can bolster several layers of the Indian ground-based air-defence architecture.
Medium-range systems are to defend key relocating and stationary military formations and installations against warplanes, cruise missiles along different limited air threats. Very short-range systems offer local-level defence against low-flying aircraft, helicopters and drones.
It is the blend of longer and shorter-range systems, as no single air-defence weapon can protect every altitude, distance or threat profile. When one engagement zone is penetrated, layered defence ensures that targets may be handled by another.
Tank Protection and Kamikaze Drones
This is also the direct beneficiary of the range of Active Protection Systems that DAC approved for tanks. They utilize sensors to sense incoming anti-tank projectiles and can deploy interceptors or other countermeasures to destroy the projectile before it strikes the vehicle.
It is meant to enhance the survivability of tanks in the face of anti-tank missiles, rocket-propelled grenades and loitering munitions faced by armoured formations.
The deal also clears major Army requirements for a kamikaze-drone system with jet propulsion. This kind of platform then can go to a target location, find or be targeted with target information and self-destruct mid-attack. Its accompanied by a longer-range precision-strike ability against advanced high-value battlefield targets.
Naval Capabilities
For the Indian Navy, the DAC has approved three notable requirements:
- Multi-Influence Ground Mines.
- Naval Shipborne Unmanned Aerial Systems.
- A land-based testing facility for electric propulsion systems.
Multi-Influence Ground Mines are able to react to multiple signatures generated from vessels that approach (i.e., magnetic, acoustic and pressure signatures). This ability can directfully bolster sea-denial missions and make it more difficult for an enemy to get close to critical bodies of water.
Unmanned aerial systems will be an added surveillance and reconnaissance asset for naval platforms. Their drones can be launched from warships, allowing the ship’s own radar and optical sensors to see far beyond their range and improving maritime situational awareness.
The shore-based electric-propulsion testing facility will enable evaluation of propulsion motors and other technologies prior to installation on new Navy warships. Electromagnetic propulsion may serve to quiet operation, and abate the acoustic signature of particular naval platforms.
Air Force Surveillance
Now, the Indian Air Force has approved a Fixed-Wing Based High-Altitude Pseudolite Satellite (HAPS) as fixed-wing HAPS.
A HAPS system flies at extreme high altitudes and is designed to be in the air for long durations which could support the delivery of persistent intelligence, surveillance & reconnaissance capabilities. It also could sustain communications and remote-sensing missions.
The system occupies a middle ground between manned aircraft and satellites. A HAPS platform is also potentially simpler to deploy, recover, upgrade or reconfigure than a satellite. It also can provide blanket coverage in a selected area without the requirement of vast satellite constellation.
Influence of Recent Conflict
The procurement priorities reflect the changing character of warfare, particularly the growing use of drones and loitering munitions. Recent conflicts have demonstrated that inexpensive unmanned systems can overwhelm traditional defences, damage infrastructure and expose weaknesses in military logistics.
The package places emphasis on:
- Counter-UAV electronic warfare.
- Layered air defence.
- Persistent intelligence and surveillance.
- Armoured-vehicle protection.
- Mobile precision strike.
- Naval unmanned reconnaissance.
- Indigenous defence technologies.
The focus suggests a shift toward networked, sensor-driven and survivable combat capabilities rather than relying only on large conventional platforms.
Boost to Domestic Defence Industry
Substantial portion of the equipment cleared will now be acquired under Buy Indian and Buy Indian–IDDM categories, thereby promoting domestic design and manufacture.
This strategy is part of the larger Aatmanirbhar Bharat scheme launched by the government. It intends to increase domestic share in design, development, production, maintenance and future upgrades by Indian companies.
Leaner supply chains shorten the delivery time for getting vital products from home countries and therefore lessen reliance on foreign suppliers during crises. Simultaneously, the program will be judged from timely production, quality control, technology maturity and also by Indian manufacturer ability to satisfy versnaries life 2350 – 26867 wiithin themselves.
Procurement Timeline
The DAC’s Acceptance of Necessity is the starting point of the acquisition process. The proposals will now move through several stages:
- Preparation and issue of procurement documents.
- Responses from eligible Indian and foreign vendors, where applicable.
- Technical evaluation and field trials.
- Commercial negotiations.
- Approval by the competent financial and security authorities.
- Contract signing and production.
- Delivery, acceptance testing and operational induction.
Therefore, the ₹52,000-crore figure represents the value of proposals cleared in principle, not money already spent or equipment already delivered.
Conclusion
The DAC approved procurement proposals worths ₹ 52000 crores from all the three armed services of India. The package is biased towards counter-drone systems, air defence, anti-tank missiles, tank protection, naval unmanned systems as well and electric propulsion testing along with high-altitude surveillance.
It also strengthens India’s push for indigenous arms production. As long as the projects don’t face large delays working their way through procurement and into production, they hold the potential to bolster defence readiness against a range of drone-, missile-, armoured-threats — along with longer-standing challenges related to persistent surveillance.