The Defence Acquisition Council accorded in-principle approval to capital acquisition proposals worth approximately ₹2.12 lakh crore for the Army, Navy and Air Force on Monday, October 26, 2026.
The approvals are an initial step in the acquisition process
The approvals took the form of Acceptance of Necessity, or AoN, which is an in-principle administrative approval for proposed acquisitions. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired the council. Approximately eighty-two per cent of the procurements are designated for Indian industry, according to the approval details.¹²³
The proposed acquisitions span artillery systems, high-mobility vehicles, helicopters, air defence equipment, counter-drone systems, surveillance platforms, long-range drones, naval missile defence systems and weather radars. The package covers requirements across all three services, with Army proposals including tracked guns and drone systems, and Air Force proposals including weather radar.¹²³
Army proposals range from tracked guns to long-range drones
The Army’s approved proposals include High Mobility Vehicles, Self-Propelled Tracked Gun Systems, Gun Shot Response Systems and Light Multi-Role Helicopters. The list also includes Very Short-Range Air Defence Systems and Platform-Based Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems. These proposals cover mobility, artillery and air defence, alongside systems intended to address unmanned aerial threats.¹²³
The proposed acquisitions span artillery systems, high-mobility vehicles, helicopters, air defence equipment, counter-drone systems, surveillance platforms, long-range drones, naval missile defence systems and weather radars.
The Very Short-Range Air Defence System is a fourth-generation, man-portable air-defence system. The Army wants it to replace aging legacy equipment, including the Russian Igla-1M. That planned replacement gives the air-defence proposal a specific role in the package: updating the Army’s existing man-portable capability.¹²³
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Read More →The Army list also includes long-range unmanned aerial systems, surveillance UAVs, an Integrated Surveillance and Strike System and a Long Range Kamikaze Drone System. Together with the counter-unmanned aerial system proposal, these are among the package’s aerial surveillance and drone-related acquisitions. The council’s approval also covers High Mobility Vehicles and Gun Shot Response Systems for the Army.¹²³
The helicopter proposal covers 200 aircraft and a domestic build
The council approved a ₹20,000 crore proposal to acquire 200 Light Multi-Role Helicopters for the Army and Air Force. The new helicopters are intended to partly replace the services’ vintage fleet of 400 Cheetah and Chetak helicopters. The proposal therefore links a defined acquisition quantity to a fleet replacement effort for both services.¹²³
The Army and Air Force are to use the helicopters for reconnaissance and surveillance, combat, search and rescue of troops, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. The aircraft are intended for duties that range from gathering information to supporting troops and responding to emergencies. Their role across both services is part of the approved Light Multi-Role Helicopter programme.¹²³
The Army and Air Force are to use the helicopters for reconnaissance and surveillance, combat, search and rescue of troops, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
The helicopters are to be built within India, with Indian companies in the lead. The Ministry of Defence intends to divide the contract between the winning bidder and the runner-up. Potential participants named for the bidding process include Tata Advanced Systems Ltd with Airbus, Adani Group with Leonardo of Italy, and Bell Helicopters of the US. The ministry issued a Request for Information for the programme last year.¹²³
Naval decoys and Air Force systems are also included
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Read More →For the Indian Navy, the council approved an Active Offboard Decoy System and other major naval platforms. The decoy system is intended to strengthen anti-missile defence, particularly against modern anti-ship missiles. The Navy’s proposals also include other indigenously designed and constructed naval platforms, placing the decoy acquisition alongside a broader set of naval requirements.¹²³
The Air Force proposals cover helicopters, air defence systems, weapons and Mobile X-Band Doppler Weather Radar Systems. The separate approval for Light Multi-Role Helicopters gives the Air Force a role in that shared programme with the Army. The weather radar systems are also among the proposed acquisitions listed for the service.¹²³
Defence orders shift to Indian firms
If you work in aerospace, defence engineering, or manufacturing, the 82 per cent Indian industry share in this ₹2.12 lakh crore package changes where you target your applications. The ₹20,000 crore helicopter programme alone, with 200 aircraft to be built domestically and the contract split between winner and runner-up, means two companies will need production teams, quality engineers, and supply-chain managers. Firms like Tata Advanced Systems, Adani, and Bell are named participants, so these are the employers to approach for roles in assembly, testing, and programme management.¹²³
The skill mix that matters is shifting toward unmanned systems and air defence. The Army's approved list includes long-range drones, surveillance UAVs, a kamikaze drone system, and counter-unmanned aerial systems, alongside a fourth-generation man-portable air-defence system. Engineers with expertise in drone avionics, counter-drone electronics, or missile guidance systems have a concrete market here. For those negotiating pay, the scale of this package and the domestic build requirement support asking for roles tied to these specific programmes, where demand is concentrated.¹²³
Defence orders shift to Indian firms If you work in aerospace, defence engineering, or manufacturing, the 82 per cent Indian industry share in this ₹2.12 lakh crore package changes where you target your applications.
Sources
- wionews.com — https://www.wionews.com/india-news/counter-drone-systems-guns-and-decoys-centre-clears-rs-2-12-trillion-defence-proposals-1793022431243
- thehindubusinessline.com — https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/centre-clears-212-lakh-cr-defence-package-for-armed-forces-upgrades/article71627389.ece
- thehindu.com — https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/dac-clears-defence-procurement-proposals-worth-212-lakh-crore/article71627089.ece
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