TThe Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, convened on December 26, 2025, but due to incomplete attendance, deferred decisions on nearly 20 major procurement proposals slated for approval, postponing them to a future meeting tentatively around January 15, 2026. The council instead focused on extending the Emergency Procurement (EP) mechanism till January 15, empowering vice chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force to fast-track acquisitions up to Rs 300 crore each for urgent operational needs like ammunition, drones, and surveillance systems, originally introduced post-2020 Galwan standoff. Key items discussed but not cleared included an indigenous integrated air defence weapon system for Delhi-NCR protection from aerial threats, procurement of around 850 loitering munitions for Indian Army drone capabilities, medium-range surface-to-air missiles (MR-SAM) for Navy warships, Astra Mark 2 air-to-air missiles exceeding 200 km range for the Air Force alongside Meteor missiles, modernization of 200 T-90 tanks by a public sector unit, Spice-1000 air-to-ground missiles from Israel, leasing of two Sea Guardian MQ-9B drones from the US, and 120 km-range Pinaka rocket development—all aimed at boosting self-reliance amid regional security challenges. This outcome ensures continuity in emergency buys while major deals worth up to Rs 80,000 crore await final clearance.