Defence Acquisition Council

Context: Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for three capital acquisition proposals amounting to ₹4,276 crore.

• It includes Helicopter launched Nag (HELINA), Very Short-Range Air Defence Systems (VSHORAD) and BrahMos cruise missile launcher and Fire Control System (FCS) for naval ships.

About DAC:

• DAC is the highest decision-making body in the Defence Ministry for deciding on new policies and capital acquisitions for the three services – Army, Navy and Air Force, and the Indian Coast Guard.
• The Defence Acquisition Council is headed by the Defence Minister.
• Members: Minister of State for Defence, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, Chief of Air Staff, Defence Secretary, Secretary Defence Research and Development, Secretary Defence Production, Chief of Integrated Staff Committees HQ IDS, Director General (Acquisition, Dy. Chief of Integrated Defence-Staff Member Secretary.
• It was formed, after the Group of Ministers recommendations on ‘Reforming the National Security System’, in 2001, post Kargil War (1999).

About HELINA Missiles

• Missile is developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• It is helicopter-launched version of the Nag Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGM).
• Air Force variant of NAG missile is known as ‘Dhruvastra’.
• It’s a third generation ‘fire-and-forget’ class missile.
• It can be mounted on Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH).

Features of HELINA Missiles:

• Missile system has all- weather day and night operational capabilities.
• It can defeat battle tanks with conventional amour as well as explosive reactive amour (ERA).
• Missile can engage targets both in direct hit mode as well as top attack mode.
• Top attack mode: It requires to climb sharply after launch and travel at a certain altitude then plunge on the top of the target.
• Direct hit mode: It travels at a lower altitude directly striking the target.

About Very Short-Range Air Defence Systems (VSHORAD):

• It is designed and developed indigenously by DRDO’s Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad, in collaboration with DRDO laboratories and Indian Industry Partners.
• It meant to kill low altitude aerial threats at short ranges.
• India has been in talks with Russia since 2018 to procure the Igla-S air defence missiles at a cost of $1.5 billion under the VSHORAD programme in a bid to replace the Russian Igla-M systems.

Features of VSHORAD:

• It is a man portable Air Defence System (MANPAD).
• It is a robust and quickly deployable system, which will strengthen India’s air defence capabilities.
• Missile is propelled by a dual thrust solid motor—incorporates many novel technologies including miniaturized Reaction Control System (RCS) and integrated avionics.

Source: Indian Express