The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), in its meeting of 2 November 2021 held under the chairmanship of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for capital acquisition proposals for modernisation and operational needs of the Armed Forces amounting to Rs 7,965 crore.
All of these proposals (100 percent) are under ‘Make in India’ with focus on design, development and manufacturing in India.
Key approvals of procurement from domestic sources include 12 Light Utility Helicopters from Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL); Lynx U2 Fire Control System from Bharat Electronics (BEL) which will enhance the detection tracking and engagement capabilities of Naval war ships and mid-life upgradation of the Dornier Aircraft from HAL to increase the Naval capacity of maritime reconnaissance and coastal surveillance.
As a further impetus to Aatmanirbhar Bharat, a global procurement case of Naval guns has been foreclosed with these guns’ quantity added to the upgraded Super Rapid Gun Mount (SRGM) being manufactured by Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL). These SRGMs provide niche capabilities of engaging fast manoeuvring targets using guided munitions and range extensions and are to be fitted on the warships of the Indian Navy.