New Delhi, July 3 -- NEW DELHI - The Indian Army will field an electronic warfare system that disables enemy drones without firing a missile at them, if the procurement process that began Thursday runs to completion. The Defence Acquisition Council, under Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, accorded Acceptance of Necessity to ten weapons systems worth a combined Rs 52,000 crore, covering anti-drone technology, man-portable missiles, loitering munitions, naval mines and a stratospheric aircraft designed to behave like a satellite.

The Rs 52,000 crore package, approximately $6.2 billion at current exchange rates, covers systems spread across all three armed services. None represents a signed contract; Acceptance of Necessity is the formal firs...