The Union government on Thursday accorded an initial approval to defence acquisition projects worth ₹2.23 lakh crore that included procurement of 97 Tejas light combat aircraft and 156 Prachand combat helicopters, in a major move to significantly enhance the combat capabilities of the armed forces.
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, cleared the projects at a time India is locked in a bitter military standoff with China at a number of friction points in eastern Ladakh for over three years.
