Enhancing military capabilities Prabhat Khabar 07 Jan 2026
Article Read Time
Enhancing military capabilities Prabhat Khabar 07 Jan 2026
Towards the end of last year, the defence minister headed Defence Acquisition Council accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AON) for procurements worth a total of Rs 79,000 crore for the armed forces. The AON is a formal approval that the item is essential for the forces and has budgetary backing. Based on this the armed forces issue a Request for Proposal, which is the commencement of the procurement process. The process is long and tedious.
For the financial year 2025-26 the defence budget allocated was Rs 6.81 Lakh Crore, of which Rs 1.49 Lakh Crore was for capital expenditure, from which 75% was earmarked for domestic procurement, thereby giving a boost to Aatmanirbharta. As per reports, the government has expended 80% of the total capital expenditure amounting to Rs 1.2 Lakh Crores by the end of third quarter. It is likely that the entire budget would be expended in time.
This is a good sign as earlier the MoD surrendered part of the funds, being unable to expend them. There has been a constant demand from the armed forces for a roll-on non-lapsable modernization budget, by which unexpended funds are carried forward to the next financial year. This is mainly because the process of procurements which commence from determining requirements to approvals, trials and testing as also placing orders is time-consuming.
The government has attempted to shorten the procurement process by issuing the new Defence Procurement Manual, which has become effective from 01 Nov last year. As per this process the intent is to bring down the procurement cycle from the current 5-8 years to under two years. Thus far, over a year has been cut down.
To further enable the armed forces speedy procurement of essential equipment, the government has given the forces Fast Track Emergency Procurement Powers worth Rs 40,000 crores. Under this scheme, contracts must be finalized within 40 days and items delivered in one year. This enables the forces to procure items like drones and ammunition which is readily available within the country.
In addition, the forces have been demanding a defence budget which is close to 3% of the GDP to enable modernization to meet emerging security challenges. The current defence budget is around 1.9% of the GDP. While the government cannot increase the percentage rapidly, it needs to do so incrementally. However, there is also a consideration that India as a developing economy needs to cater for social, welfare and developmental needs of the population.
Defence procurements are a steady process. Equipment ordered currently are inducted only after a period of time, depending on the nature of equipment. The more sophisticated the equipment, the longer the gestation period. HAL is able to manufacture limited Tejas aircraft each year. The Rafale aircraft ordered for the navy last year will only commence induction by 2028-29 and the process would continue for a couple of years. The thirty-one MQ 9B Predator Drones, orders for which were placed last year, will also commence induction in 2029. All this provided there are no lags in the process. It also takes time to imbibe the equipment into current operational scenarios.
Identifying equipment to meet future capabilities also involves detailed study and analysis. This is because equipment once inducted would remain in service for decades. The larger and more sophisticated the platform, aircraft, ships and tanks, continue in service for decades after regularly undergoing upgrades, to enhance their service span. A wrong decision can, in such cases, have major financial and security impact. Hence, the system should never be rushed.
Further, based on changing nature of warfare, the armed forces are regularly restructuring and imbibing technology at every level. The army is raising Bhairav Battalions, Rudra Brigades as also Shaktibaan regiments which will possess a mix of loitering ammunition and swarm drones. These will operate in conjunction with artillery brigades enhancing firepower. There are recent inputs that the army has created a pool of one lakh drone operators.
The latest AON issued involved upgradation of T 90 tanks, loitering ammunition, long range rockets and anti-drone systems amongst other requirements for the army. These are aimed at enhancing the reach and capability of firepower of the army as also enhancing protection from enemy drones. The drones, anti-drone systems as also long range Pinaka missiles are locally manufactured. Tanks need to be upgraded to meet increasing battlefield challenges as part of lessons learnt from the Ukraine war.
For the navy there are tugs, communication systems and leasing of two remotely piloted aircraft systems from the US to enhance its surveillance capabilities. For the air force, the approvals include missiles, simulators and automatic take off and landing recording systems. Missiles being procured include the Indo-Israel manufactured Barack missiles, SPICE precision weapon systems and Astra missiles. These procurements will meet force modernization as also filling in gaps in defence preparedness.
Most of the items approved are those identified by the forces based on inputs gained from ongoing conflicts as also Operation Sindoor. Some are intended to fill gaps in the current defensive architecture. Time remains of essence mainly because of the Pak-China collusion witnessed in Sindoor. With emphasis on ‘make in India’ the government is ensuring that its defence preparedness can never be held hostage by any foreign power.
The armed forces are steadily enhancing capabilities to meet challenges of upcoming conflict, aware that Operation Sindoor 2.0 may be around the corner as also of support being provided to Pakistan by China. What they need from the government is requisite budget and a speedy process to ensure that delays are avoided. Finally, defence manufacturers in India including Public Sector Undertakings must meet the timelines laid down in delivery of equipment once the contract is inked.
About the Author
Maj Gen Harsha Kakkar
Retired Major General Indian Army