DAC approves ₹52,000 crore acquisitions incl. Akash Tarang and MPATGM
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On 3 July 2026 the Defence Acquisition Council, chaired by the Raksha Mantri, accorded Acceptance of Necessity for proposals worth about ₹52,000 crore. The Army gets the Akash Tarang anti-drone electronic warfare system, MPATGM, MRSAM, V-SHORADS, tank protection and jet kamikaze drones; the Navy and Air Force get mines, shipborne drones and high-altitude pseudo satellites.
- Date
- 3 Jul 2026, Ministry of Defence
- Body
- Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by the Raksha Mantri
- Approval type
- Acceptance of Necessity (AoN): in-principle administrative approval
- Value
- about ₹52,000 crore
- Army
- Akash Tarang, MPATGM, MRSAM, V-SHORADS, tank Active Protection System, jet kamikaze drones
- Navy / Air Force
- MIGM, NSUAS, electric propulsion test facility / FW-HAPS
The DAC approvals of 3 July 2026: what happened?
Wars on India’s borders now involve swarms of cheap drones. A big share of this approval list is about stopping drones or using them. AoN is the first gate in buying any weapon: the forces say “we need it”, and the Council agrees in principle.
- Army: Akash Tarang anti-UAV electronic warfare system; Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM); Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM); Very Short Range Air Defence System (V-SHORADS) with multi-spectral sensing; Active Protection System for tanks; jet-based kamikaze drones.
- Navy: Multi Influence Ground Mine (MIGM); Naval Shipborne Unmanned Aerial System (NSUAS); a Land Based Testing Facility (LBTF) for electric propulsion.
- Air Force: Fixed-Wing High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (FW-HAPS) for persistent surveillance, telecom and remote sensing.
What does each new system do?
- Akash Tarang: anti-UAV protection for Army formations.
- MPATGM: lets infantry counter mechanised (tank) threats.
- MIGM: denies the adversary freedom of manoeuvre at sea.
- FW-HAPS: long-endurance intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance from high altitude.
Why does the DAC approvals of 3 July 2026 matter?
- Counter-drone: Akash Tarang, V-SHORADS and kamikaze drones show drones are the new front line.
- Navy: Electric propulsion testing points to future ship power systems.
What can Prelims ask on the DAC approvals of 3 July 2026?
- AoN = Acceptance of Necessity, in-principle administrative approval by the DAC.
- 3 July 2026 approvals: about ₹52,000 crore.
- Akash Tarang: anti-UAV EW system; MPATGM: man-portable anti-tank missile; FW-HAPS: Air Force pseudo satellite.
How to use this in Mains
- As per PIB (2026-07-03): DAC granted AoN for about ₹52,000 crore including anti-UAV EW system Akash Tarang, MPATGM, MRSAM, V-SHORADS, tank active protection and jet kamikaze drones.
- The approvals show counter-drone and air defence are top priorities.
Quotable data pointDAC granted AoN for about ₹52,000 crore including anti-UAV EW system Akash Tarang, MPATGM, MRSAM, V-SHORADS, tank active protection and jet kamikaze drones.
PIB: Defence: DAC ₹52,000 crore, 3 Jul 2026
Exam angle
Prelims: AoN.
Practice MCQs
Original practice questions (not PYQs).
"Akash Tarang", approved by the DAC in July 2026, is
Answer (b) & explanation
PIB (Defence), 3 Jul 2026.
Questions students ask about this
What is Acceptance of Necessity (AoN)?
The in-principle administrative approval given by the Defence Acquisition Council to an acquisition proposal.
What is Akash Tarang?
An anti-Unmanned Aerial Vehicle electronic warfare system for the Indian Army, approved on 3 July 2026.
What will FW-HAPS do for the Air Force?
Persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, telecommunication and remote sensing.
Keep studying
Official source: PIB: Defence: DAC ₹52,000 crore, 3 Jul 2026
facts from cited sources only; faculty review pending