In one of the largest single rounds of military modernisation approvals in recent years, the Defence Acquisition Council on Tuesday, 27 October, cleared capital acquisition proposals worth approximately Rs 2.12 lakh crore. The council, chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, approved the proposals across the Army, Navy and Air Force, with about 82 per cent of the total value earmarked for Indian industry.
The Indian industry share is the headline within the headline. At roughly four-fifths of the total, it signals a deliberate continuation of the indigenisation push that has defined defence procurement policy in recent years. For domestic manufacturers, defence public sector units and private firms alike, the approvals translate into long-term orders, technology development and employment. For the armed forces, they promise equipment designed, built and supported within the country.
For the Army, the approvals cover high mobility vehicles, self-propelled tracked gun systems and gun shot response systems. High mobility vehicles are the workhorses of mountain and desert logistics, capable of moving troops and supplies over terrain where conventional trucks struggle. Self-propelled tracked guns add mobile firepower that can keep pace with armoured formations, while gun shot response systems improve the ability to detect and respond to incoming fire.
Helicopters feature prominently in the package. Light multi-role helicopters have been approved for both the Army and the Air Force, providing a versatile platform for transport, reconnaissance and utility roles. In a country with long Himalayan borders and island territories, helicopters are not a luxury; they are the link between remote posts and the mainland, especially when roads are cut by weather or terrain.
Air defence receives a major boost through the approval of Very Short Range Air Defence Systems, known as VSHORADS, and counter-UAS systems. The first provides frontline units with a shoulder-fired or vehicle-mounted shield against low-flying aircraft and helicopters. The second addresses the newer threat of small drones, which have transformed battlefields from Ukraine to West Asia. Together, they reflect a layered approach to protecting troops and installations.
Surveillance and strike capabilities are also expanded. The approvals include surveillance unmanned aerial vehicles, integrated surveillance and strike systems, and long-range kamikaze drones. The combination allows forces to see further, identify targets faster and strike with precision, while keeping pilots and soldiers out of direct danger. Kamikaze drones, which loiter before diving onto a target, have become a defining weapon of modern conflict.
The Navy’s share includes active offboard decoy systems and indigenous platforms. Decoys protect ships by drawing incoming missiles away from the vessel, a critical defence as anti-ship missiles proliferate. Indigenous platforms reinforce the Navy’s long-term shift towards ships designed and built in Indian yards.
For the Air Force, the package covers helicopters, air defence systems, weapons and a mobile X-band Doppler weather radar. The radar may sound less dramatic than a missile, but it matters: accurate, mobile weather tracking improves flight safety and mission planning, especially in monsoon and mountain conditions.
Approval by the council is the first major step, not the final contract. Each proposal will now move through tendering, trials and negotiation before deliveries begin. But the scale and the domestic share of this round make its intent unmistakable: India is building its military strength increasingly from its own factories.
