New Delhi, September 7, 2026 — The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, on Monday accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for capital acquisition proposals worth approximately ₹1.10 lakh crore for the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force. Approximately 98 per cent of the procurements are expected to be sourced from Indian industry.
AoN constitutes in-principle administrative approval and is the first formal step in the capital procurement process. It does not itself constitute a signed contract.
The approvals cover platforms and systems intended to strengthen mobility, battlefield support, reconnaissance, bridging, naval surveillance and propulsion, as well as air combat and force-protection capabilities.
Army: CBRN vehicles, ALH, mine layers, trawl tanks and bridging systems
For the Indian Army, the DAC approved procurement of Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Recce Vehicles, High Mobility Vehicles (HMV), Self-Propelled Mechanical Mine Layers (MML), Advanced Light Helicopters (ALHs), Trawl Tanks and the Sarvatra Bridge System.
The CBRN Recce Vehicles are intended to detect, identify, monitor and mark areas contaminated by CBRN agents. High Mobility Vehicles are expected to improve operational capability, logistic support and mobility in difficult terrain. Self-Propelled Mechanical Mine Layers are meant to provide faster and more responsive mine-laying in challenging areas.
Advanced Light Helicopters, manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and commonly known as Dhruv, will be used by both the Army and the Indian Air Force for complex missions across varied terrains and operational conditions. Trawl Tanks and the Sarvatra Bridge System are intended to provide composite crossings for fighting formations during operations in different terrains.
Navy: Arudhra radars and indigenous marine gas turbines
For the Indian Navy, AoN was accorded for the procurement of Arudhra Radars and for the design, development and subsequent procurement of Marine Gas Turbines (MGT). Arudhra Radars will replace existing Air Route Surveillance Radars at various Naval Air Stations. The marine gas turbines are a warship propulsion system intended to reduce dependence on foreign vendors.
Air Force and common systems
For the Indian Air Force, the Council granted approval to various proposals aimed at enhancing the war-fighting capability of fighters, transport aircraft and helicopters. Approval was also accorded for Ground-Based Multi-Purpose Jammers (GBMPJ) and for installation of the Defence Forces Secure Access Card (DEFSAC) system. The jammers are intended to provide effective jamming against adversary radars. DEFSAC will replace paper-based identity cards, passes and permits with an interoperable radio-frequency identification-based smart card system.
Indigenous sourcing
The Ministry of Defence stated that of the total AoNs accorded, approximately 98 per cent of procurements will be made from Indian industry. The package is consistent with the government’s emphasis on domestic defence production, although AoN remains an early-stage clearance and subsequent stages—Request for Proposal, trials, negotiations and contract award—will determine quantities, timelines and specific vendors.
The meeting was held in New Delhi on September 7, 2026. Official details of individual quantities and estimated costs for each line item were not released in the Ministry statement.
