DAC clears Rs 3.60 lakh crore worth of capital acquisition proposals to enhance the combat readiness of defence forces

• The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the apex MoD body for capital procurement, granted Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) worth ~₹3.60 lakh crore on 12 February 2026 — one of the largest single-sitting clearances in DAC history.
• Bouquet covers IAF Rafale (MRFA), combat missiles, and Air-Ship Based High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (AS-HAPS), with majority of MRFA to be manufactured in India.
• UPSC relevance: intersects GS-III (defence, indigenisation, S&T), GS-II (India-France relations), and current-affairs prelims (DAC, DAP 2020, HAPS).