- Why in news
- On 12 February 2026, the Defence Acquisition Council chaired by Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh gave Acceptance of Necessity for proposals worth about Rs 3.60 lakh crore for the IAF, Army, Navy and Coast Guard.
- What it is
- The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) is the Ministry of Defence's top body for approving capital acquisition proposals. It is chaired by the Raksha Mantri. Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) is its first approval, which lets a proposal move on to the later stages of procurement under the Defence Acquisition Procedure.
- Body and chair
- The DAC, chaired by the Raksha Mantri, gave the AoN approvals on 12 February 2026.
- IAF items
- AoN covered Multi Role Fighter Aircraft (Rafale), Combat Missiles and the Air-Ship Based High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (AS-HAPS).
- Made in India MRFA
- Most of the MRFA to be procured will be made in India.
- Army items
- The Army got AoN for Vibhav anti-tank mines and overhaul of ARV, T-72 and BMP-II vehicle platforms.
- Coast Guard item
- The ICG got AoN for an Electro-Optical/Infra-Red system for Dornier aircraft.
Don’t confuse with AoN vs contract approval: AoN is the DAC's first clearance of a need. Contract signing and its approval by the competent financial authority (the Cabinet Committee on Security for large deals) come later.
Don’t confuse with DAC vs Defence Procurement Board: The DAC is chaired by the Raksha Mantri and decides on AoN. The Defence Procurement Board, chaired by the Defence Secretary, is a separate body.
Defence: Prelims tests exercises (with whom), equipment (who makes it) and firsts.
Why it matters
- Adds air dominance, deep-strike, anti-submarine and surveillance capability across all Services.
- Make-I items and local manufacture of MRFA support self-reliance in defence.
Problems
- Long gap between AoN and contract signing, and delays in delivery.
- Heavy dependence on imported platforms such as Rafale and P8I strains the self-reliance goal and the budget.
Way forward
- Shorten procurement timelines and raise indigenous content with firm technology transfer.
- Back private industry and R&D through Make categories and assured orders.
Put in your answer
Scale of approval: AoN worth about Rs 3.60 lakh crore was granted in a single DAC meeting on 12 February 2026.
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UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
Prelims practice · Statements
Ours, not from a UPSC paper
Consider the following statements:
- 1.The Defence Acquisition Council is chaired by the Raksha Mantri.
- 2.Acceptance of Necessity is the final approval in the procurement process, after which the contract is signed with the vendor.
- 3.The 4 MW marine gas turbine generator approved for the Navy in February 2026 falls under the Make-I category of the Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
True or false?
1 of 5
Statements the way Prelims prints them. Say first, then see the fact.
1.The Defence Acquisition Council is chaired by the Raksha Mantri.
True. The Raksha Mantri chairs the DAC.
2.The Air-Ship Based High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (AS-HAPS) approved for the IAF is meant for persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
True. AS-HAPS is for persistent ISR, ELINT, telecom and remote sensing.
3.The P8I aircraft approved for the Navy is a long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft.
True. P8I is a long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft with anti-submarine warfare role.
4.Acceptance of Necessity is the final approval after which the contract is signed with the vendor.
False. AoN is the first approval in the procurement process; contract signing comes much later.
5.The overhaul of T-72 tanks and BMP-II vehicles approved by the DAC is intended to extend their service life.
True. The overhaul aims to enhance service life and readiness.
Written by us from the release, not by UPSC; checked by a second model.
Mains practice
15 marks · 250 words
The Defence Acquisition Council recently gave Acceptance of Necessity for proposals worth about Rs 3.60 lakh crore for the Air Force, Army, Navy and Coast Guard. Examine the role of the Defence Acquisition Council and the Defence Acquisition Procedure in capital procurement, and discuss the challenges in achieving self-reliance in defence.
Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.