The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has given its approval (Acceptance of Necessity, AoN) for nine capital acquisition proposals totaling approximately 45,000 crore rupees. The meeting was chaired by Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh on September 15, 2023.
- All these acquisitions will be sourced from Indian vendors, which will significantly contribute to the goal of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India) in the defense industry.
- The DAC approved the procurement of various items, including Light Armoured Multipurpose Vehicles, Integrated Surveillance and Targeting Systems, High Mobility Vehicle Gun Towing Vehicles for artillery deployment, Next Generation Survey Vessels for the Indian Navy, Dhruvastra Short Range Air-to-Surface Missiles for ALH Mk-IV Helicopters, and 12 Su-30 MKI Aircraft from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
- Raksha Mantri emphasized the need to increase the focus on indigenization and suggested aiming for a minimum of 60 to 65 percent indigenous content in Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured projects, instead of the current threshold of 50 percent.
Defence Acquisition Council (DAC)
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) is the highest decision-making body in the Indian Ministry of Defence for deciding on new policies and capital acquisitions for the three services (Army, Navy, and Air Force) and the Indian Coast Guard. The council is headed by the Minister of Defence.
Q.: What is the primary role of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) in the Indian Ministry of Defence?
a) Making decisions on foreign policy
b) Approving annual defense budgets
c) Deciding on new policies and capital acquisitions for the armed forces
d) Conducting military exercises
Ans : c) Deciding on new policies and capital acquisitions for the armed forces
