DAC approves acquisition proposals worth Rs 13,700 crore for armed forces

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) on Tuesday approved capital acquisition proposals of various weapons, platforms, equipment required by the three armed forces and accorded three Acceptance of Necessities (AoNs) for an overall cost of Rs 13,700 crore. All these AoNs are in the highest priority category of defence acquisition --- 'Buy [Indian-IDDM (Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured)].

"The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), under the chairmanship of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, has approved capital acquisition proposals of various weapons/ platforms/ equipment/ systems required by the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force, in New Delhi on February 23, 2021," the Defence Ministry said. All these acquisition proposals will be indigenously designed, developed and manufactured.

These will include inter-alia platforms and systems designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The DAC also approved that all capital acquisition contracts (delegated and non-delegated) other than D&D cases shall be concluded in two years.

This will be done to meet the Atmanirbhar Bharat goals of the government on the time-bound defence procurement process and faster decision making and to systematically work towards reducing the time taken for capital acquisition.

The ministry, in consultation with the services and all stakeholders, will come up with a detailed plan of action for achieving the same, it added.