The meeting, to be chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, is expected to consider emergency procurement of key weapons and military equipment, potentially expediting fresh orders for the defence sector.
Among the key items on the agenda are proposals for Embraer-based Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) systems and the integration of the indigenous NETRA AEW system, reports said.
The meeting will be attended by senior defence and military leadership, including the Chief of Defence Staff, the three service chiefs, the Defence Secretary, and the DRDO chief.
If approved, the proposals are expected to provide a boost to military modernisation and indigenous defence manufacturing.
DAC meetings in 2025
The December 29 meeting will be the fourth confirmed sitting of the Defence Acquisition Council in 2025, underscoring a year of sustained focus on fast-tracking defence procurement.
Most recently, on October 23, 2025, the DAC approved defence procurement proposals worth about ₹79,000 crore. For the Indian Army, Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) was accorded for the Nag Missile System (Tracked) Mk-II, Ground-Based Mobile Electronic Intelligence System, and High Mobility Vehicles.
For the Indian Navy, approvals included Landing Platform Docks, 30mm Naval Surface Guns, Advanced Light Weight Torpedoes, electro-optical systems and smart ammunition. The Indian Air Force received AoN for systems such as the Collaborative Long Range Target Saturation/Destruction System, an autonomous long-range strike capability.
On July 3, 2025, the DAC cleared 10 capital acquisition proposals worth around ₹1.05 lakh crore, largely under the Buy (Indian-IDDM) category, reinforcing the government’s push for self-reliance in defence production across the three services.
Before that, the DAC met on March 20, 2025, approving capital acquisition proposals valued at over ₹54,000 crore, including engines for T-90 tanks, naval torpedoes and AEW&C systems for the Indian Air Force.
The scale and frequency of DAC approvals in 2025 reflect the government’s emphasis on enhancing operational readiness, speeding up procurement timelines, and strengthening domestic defence manufacturing.
