Indian government approves defense proposals worth Rs 2.38 lakh crore for aircraft, S-400 and strike drones

New Delhi: The Indian government has taken a big step to further strengthen its military power and firepower. The Defense Acquisition Council (DAC) on Friday approved procurement proposals worth about Rs 2.38 lakh crore (about US $ 25 billion). In this meeting chaired by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, many important proposals for the Army, Air Force and Coast Guard were approved.

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh posted on X that this decision will greatly strengthen India’s defense preparedness. He said that the approvals and contracts so far in this financial year have reached record levels.

Chaired the Defense Acquisition Council (DAC) meeting today in which Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) was agreed to various proposals worth an estimated cost of about Rs 2.38 lakh crore. The decisions taken in the DAC will help in further strengthening India’s defence…

— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) March 27, 2026

Major weapons for the army

To further modernize the Indian Army, the Council gave green signal to many important systems. These include:

Air Defense Tracked System- which will help in detecting and reporting air attacks in real time.
Armored Piercing Tank Ammunition – To increase the ability to target enemy tanks.
High Capacity Radio Relay – For secure and reliable communication systems.
Dhanush cannon system – long range precision strike artillery.
Runway Independent Aerial Surveillance System – For better surveillance and intelligence gathering in different areas.

All these systems will increase the combat preparedness and battlefield effectiveness of the army.

Focus on aircraft, S-400 and strike drones

The approved proposals include important purchases like medium transport aircraft, Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile system and remotely piloted strike aircraft (drones). This will significantly improve the Air Force’s reach, air defense and precision attack capability. Advanced missile systems like S-400 will provide better protection from enemy air attacks.

Steps towards defense modernization

The government says that these decisions will strengthen India’s overall defense capability. This year the pace of purchases in the defense sector is very fast. These approvals will not only increase military strength but will also promote indigenous production. The Defense Minister said after the meeting that these decisions will give a new height to India’s defense preparedness. Emphasis is also being laid on participation of indigenous industries in the entire process.