The Defence Ministry, on Friday, sanctioned the acquisition of military hardware totaling Rs 84,560 crore, including multi-mission maritime aircraft, aimed at enhancing the overall combat capabilities of the armed forces.
The approvals were granted by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
The DAC endorsed several procurement proposals, encompassing new-generation anti-tank mines, air defence tactical control radar, heavy-weight torpedoes, medium-range maritime reconnaissance, multi-mission maritime aircraft, flight refueller aircraft, and software-defined radios.
Specifically, the DAC greenlit the procurement of medium-range maritime reconnaissance and multi-mission maritime aircraft to bolster the surveillance and interdiction capabilities of both the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard, as stated by the defence ministry.
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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in a post on X elaborated about the DAC meeting, he said, "These steps will provide the much-needed incentive to the start-ups and MSMEs and promote ‘Ease of Doing Business’ in India."
Additionally, the DAC gave the nod to the procurement of air defence tactical control radar, with a focus on strengthening air defence systems, particularly the capacity to detect slow, small, and low-flying targets.
The defence ministry said, "In order to enhance the operational efficiency and domination in the tactical battle area for engaging targets that are beyond visual line of sight by the mechanised forces, the AoN (approval of necessity) under Buy (Indian-IDDM) category has been accorded for procurement of canister launched anti-armour loiter munition system."
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Furthermore, the DAC granted Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for the acquisition of Flight Refueller Aircraft, intended to enhance the operational capabilities and extend the reach of the Indian Air Force, according to the official statement.
