The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), on Thursday, granted Acceptance of Necessity (AoNs) to eight capital acquisition proposals of India's armed forces amounting to over Rs 54,000 crore, including procurement of advanced heavyweight anti-submarine Varunastra torpedoes for the Indian Navy.
For the Indian Army, AoN for procurement of 1350 HP Engine was accorded to upgrade the present 1000 HP Engine for the T-90 Bhishma Tanks, enhancing the battlefield mobility of these tanks especially in high-altitude regions by increasing the power-to-weight ratio.
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Indian Navy is set to have a boost in its capabilities against submarine threats from adversaries with the procurement of indigenously developed ship-launched anti-submarine torpedo Varunastra, developed by the Naval Science & Technological Laboratory. The Varunastra is designed for use against submarines in both shallow and deep waters. It can be launched from various Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) ships capable of firing heavyweight torpedoes.
For the Indian Air Force, the DAC accorded AoN for the procurement of Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) Aircraft Systems. AEW&C systems are capability enhancers which can change the complete spectrum of warfare and exponentially increase the combat potential of every other weapon system, the defence ministry stated.
According to the ministry, as part of celebrating 2025 as the ‘Year of Reforms’ in the ministry of defence, DAC also approved the guidelines for reducing the timelines at various stages of the capital acquisition process to make it faster, more effective and efficient.