NEW DELHI: Union defence minister Rajnath Singh chaired the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) meet on Tuesday as it approved Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for Capital Acquisition Proposals of the Armed Forces totaling ₹28,732 crores under the Buy (Indian IDDM) and Buy (Indian) categories, promoting “AtmaNirbharta” in the Defense sector.
AoN for Bullet Proof Jackets with Indian Standard BIS VI level of protection was granted by DAC in response to the desire for increased protection against the threat of enemy snipers to our soldiers stationed along the Line of Control and in close combat operations in a counterterrorism scenario.
AoN for the introduction of about 4 lakh Close Quarter Battle Carbines for the Services have also been granted by the DAC in order to battle the current complex paradigm of conventional and hybrid warfare and counter-terrorism along the LAC and Eastern Borders. This is expected to provide the Indian small weapons manufacturing sector a significant boost and improve ‘AtmaNirbharta’ in small guns.
Drone technology has shown to be a military force multiplier in recent battles throughout the world. As a result, the DAC has approved an AoN under the Buy (Indian-IDDM) category for the purchase of autonomous surveillance and armed drone swarms to improve the Indian Army’s capacity in contemporary combat.
The Navy’s request to buy an updated 1250KW Marine Gas Turbine Generator from Indian Industry was also authorized by the DAC. This generator would be used for power generation on Kolkata class ships. This will significantly increase the domestic production of gas turbine generators.
The DAC also accepted the proposal to buy 14 Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs) for the Indian Coast Guard under the Buy (Indian-IDDM) with 60 percent IC in order to improve security in our nation’s coastal zone.