PM Modi Clears Air Defence Missile Deal with Israel for Rs 17,000 Crore
(Source: India Today; published Feb 23, 2017)
By Ajit Kumar Dubey
India’s Medium-Range Surface to Air Missile, developed jointly by the DRDO and Israel Aerospace Industries, has now been cleared for procurement by the Indian Army. It is already in service with the Army and Navy. (Twitter photo)
"In a meeting of the cabinet committee on security headed by the Prime Minister, the proposal for procuring the MR-SAM air defence system for the Army was approved and these would be deployed by the Army," senior government sources told Mail Today.
The air-defence system developed jointly by the DRDO and Israeli Aircraft Industry can shoot down enemy aircraft, drones, surveillance aircraft and AWACS planes at the strike range between 50 km to 70 km in the sky and will help the country in filling gaps in air defence, the sources informed.
WHAT'S NEW?
As per the proposal cleared by the government, the Army will induct over five regiments of the MR-SAM missile which will have around 40 firing units and over 200 missiles of the system. "The delivery of the first system for the Army units will begin in 72 months of the signing of the contract and they would be ready for deployment in field areas by the year 2023," said the sources.
A DRDO laboratory under scientific advisor to defence minister and missile systems head G Sathish Reddy has been instrumental in developing the target homing system with the Israeli firms and involves a lot of make in India element in the programme. India and Israel are jointly developing similar systems for the Air Force and the Navy.
The Air Force had got clearance for its MR-SAM programme in 2009 and the deliveries will begin after delays in the project. The Navy programme is known as Long Range Surface to Air Missile system (LR-SAM) and would be set on its warships.
Hyderabad-based Bharat Dynamis Limited will produce the missiles of the system while many other Indian industries like Bharat Electronics Ltd, Larsen and Toubro, TATA group will contribute in the production for many systems and sub-systems in it. A new production facility to deliver 100 missiles a year has been established for such type of long and medium range surface-to-air missiles at BDL.
The Army will deploy these air defence systems to provide protection to vital assets and points across the country.
(ends)
India’s Modi Approves NIS 9.4 Billion Missile Deal with Israel (excerpt)
(Source: Times of Israel; published Feb 23, 2017)
The Indian security cabinet committee on security approved the procurement of 40 units of the Medium Range Surface to Air Defense Missile (MR-SAM) system, known in Israel as the Barak 8, the Mail Today paper reported, citing government sources in New Delhi.
The system is under joint development of Israel Aerospace Industries and the Defence Research and Development Organisation, India’s primary state military research and development agency.
According to the Mail Today report, “the system can shoot down enemy aircraft, drones, surveillance aircraft and AWACS planes at the strike range between 50 km to 70 km in the sky and will help the country in filling gaps in air defense.”
Delivery of the first unit for deployment in the field is expected in 2023.
The report noted that part of the project’s development is taking place in India, including cooperation in developing the homing system.
Additional joint Indian-Israeli missile programs are underway, according to the report, including the Long-Range Surface to Air Missile (LR-SAM) system, which will be deployed on Indian Navy warships. (end of excerpt)
Click here for the full story, on the Times of Israel website.
-ends-
from Defense Aerospace - Press releases http://ift.tt/2kU5PSP
via Defense
No comments: