Govt clears ₹54K-cr for defence acquisitions, shortens timelines
DAC cleared ₹54,000 crore in defense purchases, aiming to streamline acquisition timelines from 96 to 24 weeks to enhance military capabilities.
The defence acquisition council (DAC) on Thursday cleared the purchase of weapons and systems worth ₹54,000 crore and also approved guidelines for reducing timelines for acquiring defence equipment.
The purchases approved include airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) systems, torpedoes and tank engines, to boost the capabilities of the armed forces, the defence ministry said in a statement.
HT first reported on Thursday, that DAC would re-engineer the acquisition process to make it quicker and more efficient, reducing timelines from the current 96 weeks to 24 weeks.
DAC, headed by defence minister Rajnath Singh, accorded its acceptance of necessity (AoN) for the military hardware a day after the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) cleared a ₹7,000-crore deal for 307 locally made artillery guns along with towing vehicles, in a boost for self-reliance in the country’s defence manufacturing sector.
Under India’s defence procurement rules, the AoN by the council is the first step towards buying military equipment.
“AEW&C systems for the Indian Air Force are capability enhancers which can exponentially increase the combat potential of every other weapon system,” the defence ministry added.
IAF inducted its first indigenously developed AEW&C system, mounted on a Brazilian Embraer-145 jet, in February 2017, beefing up its capability to detect enemy aircraft, missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles. Currently, it operates three Netra AEW&C systems, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The system enables operators on board and on the ground to identify the threats and guide interceptors to neutralise them. The DAC clearance for AEW&C systems is significant as IAF needs to induct more systems at the earliest. The air force plans to induct six more Netra Mk-1A systems. Also, there are plans to induct another six AEW&C systems being developed by DRDO and to be mounted on Airbus A321 aircraft.
Tank engines were among the eight capital acquisition proposals cleared by the DAC.
“AoN for the procurement of 1350 HP engine was accorded to upgrade the present 1000 HP engine of the army’s T-90 Tanks. This will enhance their battlefield mobility, especially in high-altitude areas,” the statement said.
On the Varunastra torpedoes, it said the induction of additional quantities of the weapon would enhance the navy’s capability.
DAC also approved guidelines for reducing the timelines — at various stages — of the capital acquisition process “to make it faster, and more effective and efficient.”
On Wednesday, chief of defence staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan flagged concerns about slow defence procurement procedures in India and their impact on the absorption of new technologies, at a time the government is taking steps to tighten acquisition timelines and simplify weapon-buying processes to boost the military’s capabilities.
“We have problems like our procurement procedures are so slow that it is difficult to imbibe technology at the rate the armed forces would want to,” he said.
To be sure, the defence ministry has declared 2025 as the “year of reforms” and identified nine areas for focused intervention including simpler weapons buying procedures.