New Delhi: The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, on Tuesday approved the procurement of future ready combat vehicles (FRCVs), patrol aircraft and air defence fire control radars etc for modernisation of the Army's tank fleet.

144716 crore rupees will be spent on this purchase

IDAC has granted Acceptance of Necessity (AON) for a total of 10 procurement proposals. This procurement will cost Rs 1,44,716 crore. According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Defense, 99 percent of the total cost of AON is from indigenous sources under the 'Buy (Indian)' and 'Buy (Indian - Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured)' categories.

Approval of proposal for purchase of FRCV

The proposal for procurement of FRCVs has been approved for modernisation of Indian Army's tank fleet. FRCVs will be the future main battle tanks with superior mobility, all-terrain operation capability, multiple layers of protection, pinpoint accuracy and devastating firepower.

• Procurement of Air Defence Fire Control Radars has also been approved which will identify and track targets in the air and also provide firing solutions.
• The proposal for Forward Repair Team (Tracked), which has mobility to carry out repairs in natural environment, has also been approved. It has been designed and developed by Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited.
• It is authorized for both Mechanized Infantry Battalions and Armored Regiments. Three AONs have been provided to enhance the capability of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG).

Capacity of disaster relief operations will increase

Procurement of next generation Dornier-228 aircraft with rough weather capability, next generation offshore patrol vessels equipped with modern technology and having long range operations and next generation high speed patrol vessels will enhance the capabilities of ICG in carrying out surveillance, maritime patrolling, search and rescue and disaster relief operations.