Drones, howitzers and missiles: Big defence decisions expected today

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) is set to review and likely approve several key defence procurement proposals on Friday, including plans to acquire 60 Medium Transport Aircraft and five additional S-400 air defence systems. The meeting, chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, will focus on strengthening the capabilities of the armed forces across all three services.

The DAC, which is the top decision-making body of the Defence Ministry for new weapon purchases, will also consider proposals for indigenous systems. Among them is a plan to procure around four squadrons of Remotely Piloted Strike Aircraft for the Indian Air Force. These are unmanned combat jets developed within the country.

Sources in the defence establishment said the Indian Army’s proposal to acquire a large number of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles with a strike range of 800 km is also expected to be discussed for approval.


Also Read| Indian Army to order 800 km plus strike range BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles

Army plans expansion of long-range missile capability

Amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia, the Indian Army is preparing to place a large order for the 800 km strike range variant of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles. Defence officials said the Army is currently operating variants with a strike range of over 450 km and is now planning to upgrade its capabilities with longer-range systems.

The Defence Ministry is expected to take up the proposal at a high-level meeting in the coming days. Officials said the move is part of efforts to strengthen long-range strike capability in response to changing security conditions.

The missiles had been used during the India-Pakistan conflict under Operation Sindoor in May last year. Indian defence forces used BrahMos missiles to target Pakistan Air Force bases at multiple locations during the conflict.

Officials said the ongoing conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel has also underlined the importance of long-range missile systems in modern warfare.

Focus on drones and new-generation warfare

The Indian Army is also increasing its focus on drones and missile systems to meet the requirements of new-generation warfare. Large-scale force restructuring is underway, with specialised drone regiments and platoons being created within artillery and infantry units.

The defence forces are also considering the creation of a dedicated missile force and expanding the number of missile systems in service.

The Army has started manufacturing drones in its workshops, and production is being scaled up. BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles are produced under a joint venture between India and Russia, with the final stages of production now indigenised.

All three services currently operate BrahMos missiles in different roles, including air-launched, anti-ship and land-attack missions. India is also planning to develop next-generation BrahMos missiles that can be fitted on indigenous fighter aircraft such as the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas.

Also Read| India to buy 5 new squadrons of S-400 Sudarshan air defence system from Russia

Other proposals on DAC agenda

The Defence Ministry is also expected to push for the purchase of five more S-400 Sudarshan air defence systems. This comes as Indian Air Force teams are in Russia to receive the fourth squadron under an earlier contract for five systems. The fourth system is expected between April and May, while the fifth is likely to arrive between November and December.

In addition, the Indian Air Force has already received approval for five squadrons of indigenous long-range surface-to-air missile systems under Project Kusha, led by the Defence Research and Development Organisation.

Under the Medium Transport Aircraft programme, the Air Force plans to procure 60 aircraft. Companies such as Brazil’s Embraer, the US-based Lockheed Martin and Russia’s Ilyushin are expected to compete for the contract.

The DAC meeting is also likely to take up the Indian Army’s proposal to procure 300 indigenous Dhanush howitzers.