New Delhi, Sep 7 (NVI) : The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, on Monday accorded in-principle approval to various capital acquisition proposals for the armed forces worth around Rs 1.10 lakh crore, aimed at enhancing their operational capabilities.
The Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) was granted to a range of acquisition proposals for the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force, the Defence Ministry said.
For the Army, the approvals include procurement of Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) reconnaissance vehicles, high mobility vehicles, self-propelled mechanical mine layers, Advanced Light Helicopters (ALHs), trawl tanks and Sarvatra bridge systems.
The CBRN reconnaissance vehicles will be capable of detecting, identifying, monitoring and marking areas contaminated with CBRN agents, while high mobility vehicles are intended to enhance operational mobility and logistical support in difficult terrains.
The self-propelled mechanical mine layers will provide faster and responsive mine-laying capabilities, while the ALHs will be used for complex missions across varied terrains and operational situations.
The trawl tanks and Sarvatra bridge systems will facilitate composite crossings for fighting formations during operations in different terrains, the ministry said.
For the Indian Navy, the DAC approved procurement of Arudhra radars as well as the design, development and subsequent procurement of marine gas turbines.
The Arudhra radars are intended to replace existing air-route surveillance radars at various naval air stations, while the development of marine gas turbines is aimed at reducing dependence on foreign vendors for warship propulsion systems.
For the Indian Air Force, the council cleared proposals aimed at strengthening the war-fighting capabilities of fighter aircraft, transport aircraft and helicopters.
Approval was also given for procurement of Ground-Based Multi-Purpose Jammers and installation of the Defence Forces Secure Access Card (DEFSAC) system.
The multi-purpose jammers are designed to provide effective jamming against adversary radars, while the DEFSAC system will replace paper-based identity cards, passes and permits with interoperable radio-frequency identification-based smart cards.
The Defence Ministry said approximately 98 per cent of the total procurements approved by the DAC will be sourced from Indian industry.
The approvals are part of the government’s efforts to strengthen indigenous defence capabilities and promote greater participation of domestic defence manufacturers.—(NVI)
