Defence Acquisition Council gives approval for sonar for Navy

 The Defence Acquisition Council on Wednesday accepted the Navy's need to buy new sonar and gave a go-ahead to the maritime force to start the acquisition process.
 
Chairing her first DAC meeting, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman approved the “Acceptance of Necessity” for the Indian Navy to procure upgraded sonar for its destroyers and frigates through the “Buy Indian (Indigenously designed, developed and manufactured)” route at a cost of nearly Rs 200 crore.
 
The under water listening devices have been designed, developed and manufactured by Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory, Kochi – one of the constituent laboratories of Defence Research and Development Organisation. The DRDO-made sonar would boost the Navy’s anti-submarine warfare capabilities, the defence ministry said in a press statement.
 
The DAC also cleared procurement of missiles for replenishing the naval inventory.
 
While reviewing the capital acquisition schemes of the defence ministry, Sitharaman directed the officials to closely monitor progress in each of the schemes so that they could be brought to maturity within the stipulated time lines.
 
After assuming the charge of the defence minister earlier this month, Sitharaman decided that the DAC meeting would be held once in a fortnight to speed up modernisation of the armed forces.