The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) on Thursday cleared the purchase of weapons and systems worth ₹54,000 crore, including airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) systems, torpedoes and tank engines to enhance defence capabilities.
“The DAC, chaired by Union defence minister Rajnath Singh, accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoNs) to eight capital acquisition proposals amounting to over ₹54,000 crore,” the defence ministry said in a statement.
Under India’s defence procurement rules, the AoN is the first step to buying military equipment. Sources in the ministry said no timeline had been given for the procurement proposal announced on Thursday. According to an estimate, it takes a minimum of 2-3 years for a proposal approved by the DAC to fructify into a contract.
“The DAC also approved the guidelines for reducing the timelines at various stages of the Capital Acquisition Process to make it faster, more effective and efficient,” the defence ministry said.
“AEW&C systems for the Indian Air Force are capability enhancers which can change the complete spectrum of warfare and exponentially increase the combat potential of every other weapon system,” the ministry said.
For the Indian Army, upgraded 1,350HP engines will be used for the T-90 tanks instead of the 1,000HP engines to enhance battlefield mobility, especially in high-altitude areas, the ministry said.