Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Jul 3: The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) is expected to approve a series of defence procurement proposals worth around Rs 2,600 crore at its meeting on Friday, including the acquisition of HAMMER precision-guided missiles, man-portable anti-tank guided missiles (MP-ATGM), and fixed-wing pseudo-satellites, sources said.
The meeting will be the first to be attended by Chief of Defence Staff General Dhiraj Seth and Navy Chief Admiral Krishna Swaminathan.
According to sources, the council will also consider proposals for naval shipborne aerial systems for the Indian Navy and the procurement of Very Short-Range Air Defence Systems (VSHORADS). A proposal to acquire 100 launchers, 2,300 missiles and five simulators for the Indian Army is also likely to receive approval.
The VSHORADS have been developed indigenously by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), while private sector firms are expected to participate in several other defence projects under consideration.
The Ministry of Defence is evaluating the proposals as part of efforts to strengthen the operational capabilities of the Army, Air Force and Navy while boosting indigenous defence manufacturing.
The DAC is also expected to clear the procurement of around 600 HAMMER air-to-ground precision-guided munitions, estimated to cost nearly Rs 2,400 crore. The missiles will be manufactured by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) under the Make in India initiative and are intended to enhance the precision strike capability of the armed forces.
The HAMMER missiles were inducted under emergency procurement after the Galwan Valley clash with China in 2020 and are currently deployed on the Indian Air Force's Rafale fighter jets. They are also expected to be integrated with the Tejas aircraft and the Rafale Marine fighters that will join the Indian Navy.
Besides these proposals, the council is likely to deliberate on the acquisition of kamikaze drones, drone detection systems and additional Scorpene-class submarines as part of India's ongoing military modernisation programme.