India has cleared a massive defence acquisition package worth ₹1.1 lakh crore to strengthen its armed forces against the twin challenge posed by China and Pakistan.

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, approved proposals covering the Army, Navy and Air Force. This takes the total approvals this year to ₹1.6 lakh crore and the cumulative figure since 2025 to ₹13 lakh crore.

The package includes systems to enhance the war-fighting capabilities of fighter jets, transport aircraft and helicopters. A pilot project will integrate Russian-origin RVV-BD long-range air-to-air missiles with Sukhoi-30 fighters, significantly boosting the Indian Air Force’s reach and deterrence capability.

The Army will receive Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) reconnaissance vehicles. These will detect, identify and monitor hazardous agents in operational zones, marking contaminated areas to protect advancing troops. High-Mobility Vehicles (HMVs) have also been approved to improve logistics support and mobility in difficult terrain.

Trawl tanks, based on T-72 and T-90 main battle tanks, will be equipped with indigenous minefield-breaching systems developed by DRDO. These assemblies include heavy trawl rollers, mine ploughs and electromagnetic devices to neutralise landmines, including those with advanced proximity magnetic fuses.

Alongside, self-propelled mechanical mine layers will provide automated and responsive mine-laying capabilities in challenging terrain.

The Sarvatra Bridge System, manufactured by BEML Limited, has also been cleared. This truck-mounted, multi-span mobile bridging system can support the 68-ton Arjun Main Battle Tank. A single 15-metre span can be deployed in 15 minutes, while a 75-metre bridge configuration can be launched in about 100 to 150 minutes. Adjustable trestle legs allow deployment across varied terrain, enhancing operational flexibility.

For the Navy, the DAC approved Arudhra radars to replace existing air route surveillance radars at naval air stations.

It also cleared the design, development and procurement of Marine Gas Turbines (MGTs), a warship propulsion system aimed at reducing dependence on foreign vendors.

The Air Force will acquire Ground-Based Multi-Purpose Jammers (GBMPJ) to counter adversary radars. The Defence Forces Secure Access Card (DEFSAC) system will replace paper-based identity cards, passes and permits with an interoperable radio-frequency identification-based smart card system.

The Defence Ministry emphasised that approximately 98% of these procurements will come from Indian industry.

This aligns with India’s push for self-reliance in defence manufacturing, which includes phased import bans on weapons and subsystems, a separate budget for indigenous hardware, increased FDI limits from 49% to 74%, and improved ease of doing business. India achieved defence production worth ₹1.8 lakh crore in 2025-26 and aims to reach ₹3 lakh crore by 2029-30.

The approvals reflect India’s determination to modernise its armed forces and ensure readiness against regional threats.

The integration of advanced systems, indigenous technologies and large-scale procurement from domestic industry marks a decisive step in strengthening national security.

Agencies