What happened:
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, approved Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for defence purchases and leases worth around ₹79,000 crore for the Army, Navy and Air Force. The approvals include loitering munitions, counter-drone systems and Pinaka rockets for the Army; tugs, secure radios and leased high-altitude RPAS for the Navy; and Astra Mk-II missiles, simulators, ATOL recording systems and SPICE-1000 kits for the IAF.
Why it matters to India:
The clearances boost combat readiness across all three services, strengthen indigenous defence manufacturing, improve surveillance and strike capabilities, and enhance India’s overall deterrence posture, especially in emerging domains like drones and precision warfare