Defence Acquisition Council (DAC)

Defence Acquisition Council (DAC)

Context

On 29 December 2025, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Rajnath Singh, accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for capital acquisition proposals worth ~₹79,000 crore. This final DAC meeting of the calendar year placed strong emphasis on indigenous combat capability, counter-drone systems, and long-range precision weapons, in line with the Atmanirbhar Bharat vision.

About the Council

• Nature: Executive body constituted in 2001 on the recommendations of the Group of Ministers (GoM) after the 1999 Kargil War.
   Not a constitutional or statutory body.
   
• Role: Apex decision-making authority for capital procurement of weapons, platforms, and equipment for the Indian Armed Forces under the Ministry of Defence.
   
• Chairman: Union Defence Minister.
   
• Composition:
   
  • Minister of State for Defence
     
  • Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)
     
  • Chiefs of Army, Navy, and Air Force
     
  • Director General, Indian Coast Guard
     
  • Defence Secretary & Secretary (Defence Production)
     
  • Chairman, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
     

Recent Approvals (December 2025)

Army

• Pinaka MBRL (Long-Range Guided Rockets): Enhanced range, accuracy, and deep-strike capability.
   
• Counter-Drone Systems: Integrated Drone Detection and Interdiction System (IDD&IS) Mk-II for protection of critical assets.
   
• Loiter Munition Systems: Precision engagement of time-sensitive tactical targets.
   

Air Force

• Astra Mk-II Missiles: Advanced Beyond-Visual-Range (BVR) air-to-air missiles enabling standoff combat.
   
• SPICE-1000 Kits: Precision guidance kits converting conventional bombs into long-range smart munitions.
   

Navy

• HALE RPAS (Leasing): High-Altitude Long-Endurance drones for maritime surveillance and ISR.
   
• Software Defined Radios (HF SDR Manpacks): Secure, long-range naval communications.
   

Procurement Framework (Priority Order)

1. Buy (Indian-IDDM): Indigenously Designed, Developed & Manufactured (highest priority).
    
2. Buy (Indian): Direct purchase from Indian vendors.
    
3. Buy & Make (Indian): Initial import followed by indigenous production with Transfer of Technology (ToT).
    
4. Make: End-to-end indigenous R&D, development, and production.
    

Challenges

• Technology Complexity: Rapid evolution in drones, EW, and AI requires frequent updating of Services Qualitative Requirements (SQRs).
   
• Time Lag: Significant delays often persist between AoN and final contract signing.
   

Way Forward

• Year of Reforms (2025): Streamlining procedures, compressing timelines, and reducing bureaucratic layers.
   
• Deepening Indigenisation: Greater reliance on Buy (Indian-IDDM) to curb import dependence and strengthen domestic defence industry.

Conclusion

The December 2025 DAC approvals reflect a decisive shift toward precision strike, unmanned systems, and indigenous capability development. By prioritising domestic design and manufacturing, the DAC strengthens India’s defence preparedness while insulating military modernisation from external supply-chain vulnerabilities and evolving regional security threats.