India’s Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has granted in-principle approval for capital acquisition proposals worth INR2.12 trillion (US$22.5 billion) for the armed forces. These cover self-propelled artillery, helicopters, unmanned platforms, naval systems and weather radars.
The approvals were granted on 26 October 2026 at a meeting of the DAC chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The Ministry of Defence stated that 82% of the proposed acquisitions are to be sourced from Indian industry.
For the Indian Army, procurement proposals include high-mobility trucks; tracked self-propelled howitzers; gunshot response systems; light multirole helicopters; very short-range air defence systems (VSHORADS); platform-based counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS); long-range unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV); surveillance UAVs; an integrated surveillance and strike system; and long-range kamikaze UAV systems.
The VSHORADS requirement is intended to counter new-generation, small aerial threats, while the platform-based C-UAS is intended to improve tank survivability.
The tracked guns are intended to provide mechanised formations with mobility and firepower, and this will comprise 335 more examples of the K9 Vajra-T 155mm L/52 self-propelled howitzer. Larsen & Toubro and Hanwha won a contract for a first batch of 100 K9 Vajra-Ts in May 2017, and a repeat order for 100 was placed in December 2024.
Both the Indian Army and Indian Air Force (IAF) will now proceed with the acquisition process for light multirole helicopters, which is basically a continuation of their long-running Reconnaissance and Surveillance Helicopter (RSH) requirement.
Approximately 400 helicopters are to be acquired, split between a foreign type assembled under license in India, and the indigenously developed Light Utility Helicopter from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
The IAF has also received procurement approval for special utility helicopters able to undertake VVIP missions. The air force presently operates Mi-17 helicopters in the VVIP role.
An earlier VVIP helicopter procurement process, which resulted in a contract for twelve AW101 VVIP helicopters in February 2010, was cancelled in 2013-14.
The IAF has also received procurement approval for mobile, X-band, Doppler weather radars intended to provide high-resolution, localised weather surveillance in forward areas.
Additionally, the Indian Navy received procurement approval for active off-board decoy systems to protect against modern anti-ship missiles.
by Atul Chandra
