INDIA. MUMBAI: The Defense Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, granted Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for Armed Forces Capital Acquisition Proposals totaling Rs 76,390 crore on Monday.
The proposals fall into three categories: ‘Buy (Indian),’ ‘Buy & Make (Indian),’ and ‘Buy (Indian-IDDM),’ and will provide a significant boost to the Indian defense industry while significantly reducing foreign spending. According to a Defense Ministry statement, the initiative is consistent with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Aatmanirbharta’ (self-reliance).
The DAC issued new AoNs for the Indian Army to procure Rough Terrain Fork Lift Trucks (RTFLTs), Bridge Laying Tanks (BLTs), Wheeled Armoured Fighting Vehicles (Wh AFVs) with Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGMs), and Weapon Locating Radars (WLRs) from domestic sources, with an emphasis on indigenous design and development.
The DAC also granted AoN to procure Next Generation Corvettes (NGC) for the Indian Navy for Rs 36,000 crore. These NGCs will be adaptable platforms for surveillance missions, escort operations, deterrence, Surface Action Group (SAG) operations, Search & Attack, and Coastal Defense. These NGCs would be built based on the Indian Navy’s new in-house design, using cutting-edge shipbuilding technology. They would help advance the government’s SAGAR initiative (Security and Growth for all in the Region).
The DAC accorded AoNs to manufacture Dornier Aircrafts and Su-30 MKI aero-engines by the Navratna CPSE M/s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited with a focus on enhancing indigenization, particularly in indigenizing aero-engine material.
The DAC also approved the ‘Digital Coast Guard’ project under the ‘Buy (Indian) Category, in accordance with the government’s vision for digital transformation in defense. This project will establish a pan-India secure network for digitizing various surface and aviation operations, logistics, finance, and human resource processes in the Coast Guard.
Air commodore
In another development, Air commodore Vivek Singh Blouria took over the command of the air force station, Kanheri Hills, in Thane near Mumbai on Monday. He succeeds air commodore Rakshale Sanjeev Kumar. Air commodore Vivek Singh Blouria is an alumnus of the National Defense College, New Delhi, and has vast operational experience in various fields of the Indian Air Force.
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