NEW DELHI, July 4 -- The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), headed by defence minister Rajnath Singh, on Friday gave its go-ahead for purchasing weapons and systems worth Rs.52,000 crore to boost the armed forces' capabilities. The capability boost approved by the council - India's apex defence procurement body - covers procuring a raft of systems, from anti-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) electronic warfare system 'AKASH TARANG', man-portable anti-tank guided missile (MPATGM) systems to medium range surface-to-air missile (MRSAM) weapon system, the defence ministry said. The DAC also accorded its Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for buying the very short range air defence system (V-SHORADS), an active protection system for tanks, and a jet-based kamikaze drone system, the ministry added in a statement. The military hardware listed above is for the army. Under India's defence procurement rules, AoN by the council is the first step towards buying military equipment. The DAC convened for the first time under India's new military leadership - chief of defence staff General NS Raja Subramani, navy chief Admiral Krishna Swaminathan and army chief General Dheeraj Seth. The top appointments were made recently. Seth, who took over as army chief on June 30, said on Wednesday that the force's modernisation would form the bedrock of its transformation into a future-ready force. The defence ministry outlined the capability boost: AKASH TARANG will provide effective anti-UAV protection to army formations; the MPATGM will enhance the infantry's potential to counter the adversary's mechanised threats; and the MRSAM system provides medium range air defence against various stand-off aerial threats. "The V-SHORADS with multi-spectral sensing will enhance counter-measure resilience and effectiveness of the Indian Army. The active protection system will improve the defence mechanism of tanks and enhance their survivability. The jet-based kamikaze drones will provide better electronic warfare capability with greater lethality and survivability while also being cost effective," the ministry said. The military hardware approved for the Navy includes the multi-influence ground mine (MIGM), the naval shipborne unmanned aerial system (NSUAS) and the establishment of a land-based testing facility (LBTF) for electric propulsion systems. "The MIGM will deny freedom of manoeuvre to the adversary. The NSUAS, equipped with advanced sensors, will enhance the Indian Navy's situational awareness. The LBTF will meet the testing requirements for motors and associated propulsion systems of the Indian naval assets," it said. The Indian Air Force received approval to procure the fixed-wing based high altitude pseudo satellite (FW-HAPS). It will carry out intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), telecommunication and remote sensing for the air force, the ministry added. In February, India hiked its defence spending by more than 15% against the backdrop of Operation Sindoor, setting aside Rs.7.85 lakh crore for the critical sector in the Union Budget for 2026-27....