3 min readNew DelhiJul 4, 2026 05:35 AM IST
First published on: Jul 3, 2026 at 06:10 PM IST
THE DEFENCE Acquisition Council (DAC) on Friday cleared a range of acquisition proposals worth about Rs 52,000 crore for the Armed Forces.
The proposals include Anti-Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Anti-UAV) Electronic Warfare System named ‘Akash Tarang’, Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) Weapon System, the latest Verba Very Short Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) developed in Russia, Jet-Based Kamikaze Drone System for the Army, Naval Shipborne Unmanned Aerial System (NSUAS) for the Navy and Fixed-Wing Based High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (FW-HAPS) for the Indian Air Force, among others.
The DAC is the key defence body that grants Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) on all big-ticket capital procurements. The AoN is the first step in the defence procurement process. However, obtaining an AoN does not always lead to a final order.
The DAC meeting on Friday, under the chairmanship of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, took place after three months. The last DAC meeting was held in March this year, when a proposal to procure five additional S-400 Long Range Surface-to-Air Missile Systems from Russia was cleared.
The Ministry of Defence said the proposals to procure Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM) Systems and Active Protection Systems for Tanks have also been cleared for the Army. The MPATGM will help counter the adversary’s mechanised threats; the MRSAM system will provide medium-range air defence against a variety of stand-off aerial threats; and the Verba V-SHORADS with multi-spectral sensing will enhance counter-measure resilience and effectiveness of the Army, the statement noted.
ExplainedMulti-domain operations
THE LATEST DAC nod to a series of acquisitions reflects the military’s need to procure modern and new technology systems to boost its combat capabilities, in line with the way India plans its future multi-domain operations. However, the journey from the DAC nod to an actual induction is a long process.
‘Akash Tarang’, it said, will provide effective anti-UAV protection to the Army Formations.
Additionally, the Active Protection System would improve the defence mechanism of tanks and enhance their survivability, and the Jet-Based Kamikaze Drones would provide better electronic warfare capability with greater lethality and survivability while also being cost-effective.
The DAC also granted AoN for the procurement of Multi-Influence Ground Mine (MIGM), Naval Shipborne Unmanned Aerial System (NSUAS) and the setting up of Land-Based Testing Facility (LBTF) for Electric Propulsion System.
The MIGM will deny freedom of manoeuvre to the adversary. The NSUAS, equipped with advanced sensors, will enhance situational awareness of the Indian Navy. The LBTF will meet the testing requirements for motors and associated propulsion systems of the Indian Naval assets.
For the Indian Air Force, the procurement of FW-HAPS was approved among other proposals. The FW-HAPS will carry out persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, telecommunication and remote sensing for the IAF, the statement noted.
In a statement, the Defence Ministr said ‘Akash Tarang’ will provide effective anti-UAV protection to the Army Formations. (File photo) 
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