<span style="color: #222222;">Defence Acquisition Council, DAC today accorded approval for procurement for the Services amounting to approximately 46,000 crore rupees. In a landmark decision, the DAC chaired by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman approved procurement of 111 Utility Helicopters for the Indian Navy at a cost of over 21,000 crore rupees. This is the first project under the Defence Ministry's Strategic Partnership, SP Model that aims at providing fillip to 'Make in India' programme.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">SP Model envisages indigenous manufacturing of major defence platforms by an Indian Strategic Partner, who will collaborate with foreign Original Equipment Manufacturer, acquire niche technologies and set up production facilities in the country. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">AIR correspondent reports that the DAC also granted approval to other proposals amounting to around 25 thousand crore rupees.This includes procurement of 150 Indigenously Designed and Developed Advanced Towed Artillery Gun Systems for the Indian Army at a cost of around 3,365 core rupees. The DAC also accorded approval to procure 24 multi-role helicopters to enhance the capability of Navy at sea.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">In addition to it, procurement of 14 Vertically Launched Short Range Missile Systems was also cleared by the DAC. Of them, 10 systems will be indigenously developed. These systems will boost the self-defence capability of ships against Anti-Ship Missiles.</span><br />