Missiles, Radars, Drones: DAC greenlights 22 DRDO systems in landmark year

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has achieved a historic milestone in India’s defence indigenisation drive, with 22 Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) approvals worth approximately ₹1.30 lakh crore granted in 2025 for the induction of indigenously developed weapon systems, officials said on Thursday.

The approvals, the highest accorded in any single year, were granted by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) and the Services Procurement Board (SPB), paving the way for large-scale manufacturing of advanced defence platforms by Indian industries.

The Defence Acquisition Council, chaired by the Defence Minister, is the apex body responsible for capital acquisition decisions for the armed forces. It plays a critical role in advancing the government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision by prioritising indigenous systems at the AoN stage, the first and most crucial step in the defence procurement process. Once AoN is accorded, a project formally enters the acquisition pipeline, with a strong preference for domestic design, development and production.

Addressing the DRDO fraternity on the organisation’s 68th anniversary , DRDO Chairman and Secretary, Department of Defence R&D, Samir V. Kamat said the approvals reflect a “quantum jump” in India’s pursuit of self-reliance in defence technologies.

Among the major DRDO-developed systems that received AoN are the Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS), conventional ballistic missile system, Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile ‘Anant Shastra’, long-range air-to-surface supersonic cruise missile (LRASSCM), Astra Mk-II beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile, and the Integrated Drone Detection and Interdiction System (IDDIS) Mk-II.

Other platforms cleared include the Nag anti-tank missile system (tracked) Mk-2, advanced lightweight torpedo, next-generation processor-based moored mine, Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) Mk-1A , mountain radars, and a full mission simulator for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk-1A.

Kamat also revealed that 11 acquisition contracts worth ₹26,000 crore were signed in 2025 with DRDO production partners for systems such as the Nag missile system, Ashwini low-level transportable radar, Air Defence Fire Control Radar (ADFCR), Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) , electronic warfare suites for Mi-17 V5 helicopters, and enhanced munitions for the Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher.

Highlighting operational progress, the DRDO chief said user evaluation trials for several critical systems were either completed or in their final stages in 2025. These include the Pralay surface-to-surface missile, Akash Next Generation air defence missile, extended-range Pinaka rockets, man-portable anti-tank guided missile (MPATGM), electronic warfare systems for plains and deserts, Border Surveillance System (BOSS), and software-defined radios for the Indian Army.

Several next-generation systems are currently undergoing development and trials, including the Indian light tank, Very Short Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS), Rudram-2 air-to-surface missile, long-range land-attack cruise missile, short-range naval anti-ship missile (NASM-SR), UAV-launched precision-guided missile (ULPGM-V3), and the long-range glide bomb ‘Gaurav’.

Kamat noted that DRDO’s expanding technology ecosystem has significantly boosted domestic defence manufacturing. Of the 2,201 licensing agreements for transfer of technology signed so far, 245 were concluded in 2025 alone . Additionally, DRDO opened its testing infrastructure to industry, conducting over 4,000 tests for private companies and defence public sector undertakings during the year.

Calling on DRDO scientists to focus on emerging domains such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and space, Kamat said sustained collaboration among stakeholders is essential to meet future security challenges and strengthen India’s indigenous defence capabilities.