NEW DELHI: The Union government on Monday gave the initial go-ahead to military procurement proposals worth Rs 2.12 lakh crore, with more K9 Vajra self-propelled guns, kamikaze drones and counter-drone systems for the Army among the key approvals.
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, accorded acceptance of necessity (AoN) to the capital acquisition proposals for the Army, Navy and IAF.
“Out of the total AoNs accorded, approximately 82% of the procurements will be made from the Indian Industry," the MoD said in a statement.
For the Army, the "self-propelled tracked gun system" cleared is the K9 Vajra, sources said. The ministry said the system "will provide matching mobility and firepower to mechanised formations".
The K9 Vajra-T is the Indian variant of South Korea's K9 Thunder, built by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) at its Hazira facility in Gujarat in partnership with Hanwha Aerospace. The Army inducted its first 100 guns under a 2017 contract, and the ministry inked a deal with L&T for another 100 in December 2024.
Originally inducted for the deserts along the western front, the 155mm/52-calibre tracked howitzers were trialled in eastern Ladakh with winterisation kits after the 2020 military standoff with China, following which a full regiment was deployed there. Their "shoot-and-scoot" capability allows crews to fire a salvo and relocate quickly before enemy counter-battery fire can target them.
Drones, counter-drone and air defence systems account for six of the Army's 10 approvals. These include long-range unmanned aerial systems, surveillance UAVs, an integrated surveillance and strike system and a long-range kamikaze drone system, which the ministry said "will enhance the surveillance and targeting capabilities of the Indian Army".
The very short-range air defence systems (VSHORADS) "will engage new generation small size aerial threats", while the platform-based counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) "will enhance survivability of tanks in the modern battlefield", the ministry added.
The Army also got the nod for high-mobility vehicles, which "will enhance operational capabilities, logistic support and mobility in challenging terrains", and a gunshot response system that "will serve as a force multiplier providing real-time situational awareness of the forces".
The light multi-role helicopters cleared under the Army's list will be used by both the Army and the IAF for reconnaissance and surveillance, combat search and rescue, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
For the Navy, the DAC cleared the procurement of an Active Offboard Decoy System (AODS) and "other major Naval platforms". The AODS, the ministry said, will bolster the Navy's anti-missile defence, "especially against modern anti-ship missiles of adversaries".
"The indigenously designed and constructed major Naval platforms will possess modern-day warfare capabilities and enhance the combat capability of the Navy," the statement said. The ministry did not specify which platforms had been cleared.
For the IAF, the DAC approved the procurement of helicopters, air defence systems, weapons and mobile X-band Doppler weather radar systems "to enhance the air defence and war fighting capabilities".
"The procurement of Special Utility Helicopters will help the Indian Air Force to meet the important air transport requirements," the ministry said, adding that the X-band radars "will provide high-resolution, localised weather surveillance in forward areas".
The AoNs are only the first step in the long-winding procurement process. The proposals must now go through tendering, technical evaluation, field trials and commercial negotiations before contracts can be signed.
The big-ticket projects will also require the final approval of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, before the contracts are inked. The entire cycle, from AoN to contract, often stretches over several years, with delays in trials and cost negotiations not uncommon in major defence acquisitions.