The Indian government on Thursday, August 24, approved capital acquisition proposals worth Rs 7,800 crore to enhance the operational capabilities of the Indian Armed Forces.

The capital acquisition proposals were accorded by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the Defence Ministry said in a release.

The approval, termed Acceptance of Necessity (AoN), is the first step toward procurement of any military equipment and hardware under India's defence acquisition norm. The tendering and contracting process is undertaken only after the grant of AoN.

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For the Indian Air Force, the DAC has granted AoN for the procurement and installation of an electronic warfare suite on Mi-17 V5 helicopters under the 'buy' category which will enhance better survivability of helicopters.

The electronic warfare suite will be procured from Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL).

Coming to the Indian Army, the DAC has accorded AoN for procurement of a ground-based autonomous system for mechanised infantry and armoured regiments.

Further, proposals for procurement of a 7.62x51 mm light machine gun and bridge laying tank have also been given the go-ahead by the DAC. The AoN for procurement of ruggedised laptops and tablets for the Indian Army under Project Shakti have also been accorded. All these procurements will be sourced from indigenous vendors only.

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Lastly, the DAC has accorded AoN for the procurement of weapons for the MH-60R helicopters of the Indian Navy.

(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)

First Published:Aug 24, 2023 5:12 PM IST