The defence ministry on Monday cleared proposals worth about ₹79,000 crore to procure air-to-air missiles, long-range rockets, loiter munitions and drone systems to boost the combat capabilities of the armed forces.

This was the third major decision on defence procurements following Operation Sindoor in May.

Military acquisitions worth ₹67,000 crore were cleared in August while the procurement of defence hardware worth ₹79,000 crore, including Nag missiles, electronic intelligence and surveillance systems and amphibious vessels, was approved in October.

The Defence Acquisition Council, chaired by defence minister Rajnath Singh, on Monday greenlighted the procurement of loiter munition systems for artillery regiments, low-level and light-weight radars, long-range guided rocket ammunition for Pinaka multiple launch rocket system (MRLS), and an integrated drone detection and interdiction system (Mk-II) for the army.

“Loiter munition will be used for precision strike of tactical targets, whereas low-level & light-weight radars will detect and track small, low-flying unmanned aerial systems,” the defence ministry said in a statement.

Long-range guided rockets will enhance the range and accuracy of Pinaka MRLS for effective engagement of high-value targets. Integrated drone detection and interdiction system Mk-II with enhanced range will protect vital army assets in tactical battle areas and hinterland, the ministry said.

For the navy, the ministry approved the acquisition of bollard pull (BP) tugs, high-frequency, software-defined radios (HF SDR) manpack and the leasing of high altitude long-range (HALE) remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS).

“Induction of BP tugs will assist naval ships and submarines in berthing, unberthing, and manoeuvring in confined waters/harbour. The HF SDR will enhance long-range secured communication during boarding and landing operations, whereas HALE RPAS will ensure continuous intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and credible maritime domain awareness over the Indian Ocean Region,” the ministry said.

For the Indian Air Force, approval was accorded for the procurement of an automatic take-off landing recording system, Astra Mk-II missiles, a full mission simulator and SPICE-1000 long-range guidance kits.

"Induction of the automatic take-off landing recording system will fill the gaps in the aerospace safety environment by providing high-definition all-weather automatic recording of landing and take-off," the ministry said.

Astra Mk-II missiles with enhanced range will enable fighter jets to neutralise aircraft from a large standoff range. Full mission simulator for Tejas will augment pilots’ training in a cost-effective and safe manner, while SPICE-1000 will enhance long-range precision strike capability of the IAF, the ministry said.