New Delhi: The defence ministry on Tuesday approved capital acquisitionproposals worth over Rs 1,850 crore which included procurement of 156infantry combat vehicles to meet the requirement of the troops for rapiddeployment.

The long-pending proposals were cleared at a meeting of the DefenceAcquisition Council (DAC), the defence ministry’s highest decision-makingbody on procurement.

The defence ministry said said “essential quantity” of infantry combatvehicles (BMPs-2/2k) will be procured for mechanised infantry and otherservices at an estimated cost of over Rs 1,125 crore.

Official sources put the number of BMPs at 156.

The ministry said the DAC also approved construction of a Survey TrainingVessel (STV) to meet the Indian Navy’s need for hydrographic surveys at acost of Rs 626 crore.

The vessel will be constructed by Indian shipyards.

The defence ministry said the DAC, chaired by Defence Minister NirmalaSitharaman, accorded approval to capital acquisition proposals valued atover Rs 1,850 crore.

On procurement of infantry combat vehicles, the ministry said, “Thisprocurement will meet the operational requirement of the troops in rapiddeployment of mechanised forces.”