DAC has approved Procurement of Equipment Worth Rs 9,100 Crores.

•  The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman accorded approval for the procurement of equipment for the Defence Forces valued at over Rs 9,100 crore.
• DAC has approved the procurement of two regiments of Akash missile systems under 'Buy (Indian)' category from Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL). The missile to be procured is an upgraded version of the previously inducted Akash missiles and will include seeker technology, possess 360 degree.
• The DAC also accorded approval for progressing Design and Development of Individual Under Water Breathing Apparatus (IUWBA) for T 90 Tanks. Developed by DRDO Lab DEBEL, the IUWBA is used by the crew of Tanks as a safety gear and is required by the Tank crew for emergency escape when negotiating water obstacles while deep fording.

About Defence Acquisition Council (DAC):

• To counter corruption and speed up decision- making in military procurement, the government of India in 2001 decided to set up an integrated DAC.
• It is headed by the Defence Minister.
• The DAC is responsible to give policy guidelines to acquisitions, based on long-term procurement plans.
• It also clears all acquisitions, which includes both imported and those produced indigenously or under a foreign license.
• The objective of the DAC is to ensure expeditious procurement of the approved requirements of the Armed Forces, in terms of capabilities sought, and time frame prescribed, by optimally utilizing the allocated budgetary resources.
• The structure of the council ensures equal representation to bureaucracy as well as armed forces, which means that there are in-built checks and balances in relation to procurement

By: Vishal