| The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) • Established in 2001, is the top decision-making body in India’s Ministry of Defence for approving military procurements. • Chaired by the Defence Minister, the DAC ensures an efficient, transparent acquisition process aligned with national security objectives. • It focuses on modernizing the armed forces and promoting Indigenous defense manufacturing. |
- The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by the defence minister, approved capital acquisition proposals amounting to ₹1,44,716 crore.
- These include Future-ready combat vehicles (FRCVs), Air Defence fire control radars, Dornier-228 aircraft, and fast/offshore patrol vessels.
- FRCVs (Future-ready combat vehicles):
- It will replace ageing Soviet-origin T-92 tanks and will be the Indian Army’s largest contract.
- These Main Battle Tanks will feature superior mobility, multi-layered protection, precision firepower, and real-time situational awareness.
- T-92 tanks were deemed outdated after observations from the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
- Dornier-228 and Patrol Vessels: The Indian Coast Guard’s capabilities with enhanced maritime surveillance, patrolling, search and rescue, and disaster relief operations.
- The DAC also approved Air Defence fire control radars to replace older systems, with 99% of the acquisitions sourced indigenously under Buy (Indian) and Buy (Indian-Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured) categories.
- Additionally, Forward Repair Teams with cross-country mobility for in-situ repairs during mechanised operations were greenlit.
Dig Deeper: Read about the share of the Defence Ministry in the budget of the current fiscal year.
