New Delhi, July 29

A meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, today approved the ‘need to procure’ 22 interceptor boats for the Indian Coast Guard.

The ‘need to procure’ is termed as Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) of the said equipment. The AoN is the first step in the acquisition process of the MoD and is like a green light to the forces to frame the tenders for procurement. The MoD said the AoN was for the procurement of 22 interceptor boats with the latest state-of-art system capable of quick interception and shallow water operation in territorial waters. The boats would be used for coastal surveillance and patrolling, and search and rescue operations, including medical evacuation.

The DAC also okayed other capital acquisition proposals, including the procurement of Advanced Land Navigation System (ALNS) for Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs) of the Army. The system is spoof-proof with high levels of encryption. The ALNS Mk-II is compatible with Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System, NAVigation using Indian Constellation (IRNSS, NavlC).