- Why in news
- On July 3, 2026, the Defence Acquisition Council, chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, gave Acceptance of Necessity for acquisition proposals worth about Rs 52,000 crore for the Army, Navy and Air Force.
- What it is
- The Defence Acquisition Council is the Defence Ministry's highest body for approving capital acquisitions for the armed forces, headed by the Defence Minister. Acceptance of Necessity is its first, in-principle approval, given before the procurement process of tendering, trials and contracts begins.
- Who chairs the DAC
- The Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh, chaired the meeting.
- What AoN means
- AoN is an in-principle administrative approval, the first step in capital acquisition. It is not a contract or a purchase order.
- Army items
- The Army proposals include the anti-UAV electronic warfare system AKASH TARANG, MPATGM, MRSAM, V-SHORADS, an Active Protection System for tanks and jet-based kamikaze drones.
- Navy items
- The Navy proposals cover the Multi Influence Ground Mine, the Naval Shipborne Unmanned Aerial System and a Land Based Testing Facility for Electric Propulsion Systems.
- Air Force item
- The Air Force proposal is for a Fixed-Wing High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (FW-HAPS) for persistent surveillance, telecommunication and remote sensing.
- DAC origin
- The DAC was set up in 2001 after the Group of Ministers' review following the Kargil conflict.
Don’t confuse with AoN vs contract: AoN only allows the procurement process to begin. The contract is signed much later, after trials and negotiation, and is cleared by the competent financial authority.
Don’t confuse with MRSAM vs V-SHORADS: MRSAM gives medium-range air defence against stand-off aerial threats. V-SHORADS is a very short range system, a shorter-range layer of defence.
Defence: Prelims tests exercises (with whom), equipment (who makes it) and firsts.
Why it matters
- Adds anti-drone, air defence and anti-tank capability, matching the rising use of drones in modern conflict.
- Naval mines, a shipborne UAS and an electric propulsion test facility add to maritime and indigenous testing capacity.
Problems
- AoN is only the first step, and the gap between approval and delivery is often long.
- Dependence on imported components and slow trials can delay induction.
Way forward
- Shorten the time from AoN to contract and keep to the schedule.
- Favour indigenous design and production, with testing facilities that support it.
Put in your answer
Approval stage: AoN is the first stage of capital acquisition, which can be cited to show how the approval process works.
Counter-drone need: Anti-UAV and kamikaze drone systems are a response to the growing role of drones in warfare.
- 2014Mains GS3 · Q9Impact of liberalised FDI in defence on India's defence and economy
- 2026Prelims Q68Which listed defence hardware items are manufactured in India?
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Defence hardware rarely reaches Mains; DAC is a recurring body, so card only.
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.