The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, has cleared capital acquisition proposals worth approximately ₹2.12 lakh crore for the armed forces, marking one of the largest military modernisation initiatives in recent years.

Around 82 per cent of the proposed acquisitions are expected to be sourced from Indian industry, reinforcing the government's push towards indigenous defence manufacturing. The approvals are in the form of Acceptance of Necessity (AoN), which represents the first stage of the procurement process before tenders are issued and contracts are signed.

For the Indian Army, the acquisitions reflect a clear assessment of how future conflicts are likely to unfold. The emphasis is on long-range precision strikes, unmanned systems, counter-drone capabilities, rapid mobility and sustained operations across both the western and northern fronts.

The package includes long-range kamikaze drones, surveillance UAVs, an Integrated Surveillance and Strike System, long-range unmanned aerial systems, platform-based counter-unmanned aerial systems, Very Short-Range Air Defence Systems (VSHORADS), Light Multi-Role Helicopters, Self-Propelled Tracked Gun Systems, High Mobility Vehicles and Gun Shot Response Systems.

The Army's modernisation drive has been heavily influenced by recent operational lessons. Operation Sindoor demonstrated India's ability to strike high-value targets at long range without crossing international borders. The new acquisitions are designed to institutionalise that capability and provide commanders with a permanent sensor-to-shooter chain capable of finding, tracking and engaging targets deep behind enemy lines.

On the western front, mechanised formations operating in the Rajasthan desert and Punjab plains require artillery that can match their speed of advance. The approved Self-Propelled Tracked Gun Systems are intended to fulfil that requirement.

Modern battlefields are increasingly dominated by weapon-locating radars and persistent drone surveillance, making conventional towed artillery more vulnerable during deployment. Tracked artillery systems can fire and rapidly relocate before enemy counter-battery fire arrives.

The success of the K9 Vajra in Indian service has already demonstrated the operational value of highly mobile artillery. Expanding such capabilities would allow Indian strike formations to maintain artillery support during deep offensive operations while reducing their exposure to enemy surveillance and precision attacks.

The Gun Shot Response System addresses a very different challenge. Along the Line of Control and in counter-infiltration environments in Jammu and Kashmir, the ability to quickly identify the source of hostile fire can significantly improve battlefield awareness. Acoustic detection systems can locate sniper and small-arms fire within seconds, reducing the advantage gained by an adversary through surprise engagement.

Along the northern frontier, logistics remain as important as combat power. Military planners continue to view infrastructure and mobility as decisive factors in any potential confrontation with China. While significant progress has been made in road construction along the Line of Actual Control, helicopters remain indispensable for supplying remote posts and operating in terrain where road access remains difficult or impossible.

The Light Multi-Role Helicopter acquisition is therefore a particularly significant element of the package. The Army has long sought a replacement for its ageing Cheetah and Chetak fleets, both of which have sustained operations in extreme high-altitude conditions since the 1970s.

New helicopters will support reconnaissance, surveillance, combat missions, troop support, search-and-rescue operations and humanitarian assistance missions while improving reliability in critical sectors such as Siachen and eastern Ladakh.

High Mobility Vehicles are intended to enhance operational mobility, logistics and support in difficult terrain. Their importance extends across both mountain and plains sectors, where rapidly moving troops, equipment and supplies remains essential for sustaining combat operations.

The Indian Air Force component of the package includes Mobile X-Band Doppler Weather Radar Systems. While less visible than combat platforms, these systems provide highly localised weather awareness in forward areas.

In regions such as Ladakh, Daulat Beg Oldie, Nyoma and Arunachal Pradesh, changing weather conditions frequently impose greater constraints on flying operations than direct military threats. Improved forecasting and real-time meteorological data can increase operational availability and improve sortie generation rates from forward airfields.

At the centre of the Army's future battlefield concept is an increasingly sophisticated unmanned warfare architecture. The approved combination of surveillance UAVs, long-range unmanned systems, Integrated Surveillance and Strike Systems and Long-Range Kamikaze Drone Systems creates a comprehensive reconnaissance and strike ecosystem.

Together, these platforms are expected to provide persistent surveillance, target acquisition, battle damage assessment and precision strike capabilities. Rather than depending exclusively on other services for deep strike support, the Army would gain the ability to identify and engage high-value targets through its own integrated network.

The importance of loitering munitions has grown rapidly following lessons from conflicts in Ukraine, the Caucasus and West Asia. During Operation Sindoor, such systems reportedly played an important role in suppressing air-defence assets and creating opportunities for subsequent operations. Long-range kamikaze drones offer a comparatively low-cost method of engaging radar sites, command centres, logistics hubs and missile launchers while preserving more expensive missile inventories.

The approvals also acknowledge the growing threat posed by drones to armoured formations. Modern conflicts have shown that tanks can become vulnerable to inexpensive First Person View drones and loitering munitions.

While improvised protective measures have appeared on battlefields worldwide, platform-based Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems represent a more permanent solution. These systems are intended to improve the survivability of tanks and other armoured vehicles against increasingly sophisticated aerial threats.

VSHORADS forms another critical layer of the Army's evolving defensive network. Designed to defeat small and low-flying aerial threats, these systems complement higher-layer air-defence assets such as Akash, MRSAM and S-400 batteries. They provide frontline troops and forward positions with an organic means of countering helicopters, unmanned systems and loitering munitions operating at low altitude.

The overall package highlights a clear shift in Indian military planning. Future wars are increasingly expected to involve precision strikes, persistent surveillance, electronic warfare, autonomous systems and high operational tempo rather than prolonged attritional campaigns.

The latest approvals indicate that India's armed forces are preparing for precisely that environment, while simultaneously strengthening indigenous industry through one of the largest defence procurement initiatives approved in recent years.

Agencies