India's Bharat Electronics Limited have inked a $630 million contract with Israel.
India’s Bharat Electronics Limited have inked a $630 million contract with Israel.
SAN FRANCISCO (Diya TV) — Indian state enterprise Bharat Electronics Limited have inked a $630 million with Israel Aerospace Industries to jointly produce four long-range surface-to-air missile systems for the Indian Navy.
“Yes, a contract was signed May 19 in Bangalore for [LRSAM] systems. However, work share and other commercial details are confidential and cannot be shared,” Bharat Electronics Limited’s marketing director, Anandi Ramalingam, said. “BEL will start delivering the [LRSAM] systems from early 2020, onwards.”
Per the terms of the agreement, Bharat Electronics Limited will produce a major portion of the multifunction active electronically scanned array naval radar system, or MF-STAR, and the rest of the weapon control systems, Ramalingam added.
The Indian company will also be responsible for carrying out system integration and commissioning activities.
In a press release issued Monday, Israel Aerospace Industries announced it was awarded “an additional, $630 million contract for supply of LRSAM air and missile defense systems for four ships of the Indian navy. The contract will be carried out, for the first time, with Indian government company Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), which serves as the main contractor in the project as part of India’s ‘Make in India’ policy.”
Israel Aerospace Industries president and chief executive Joseph Weiss offered: “The new contract adds to other deals signed in the last decade by IAI with India’s defense forces, reinforcing IAI’s global leadership position in air and missile defense systems. The inclusion of Indian governmental company BEL for the first time, is a step up in our relationship with the Indian industry as part of the ‘Make in India’ policy.”
The LRSAM system is meant for both Indian and Israeli defense forces. Each unit comprises one command and control system, an MF-STAR radar system and two launchers that can send eight 150-kilometer-range radio frequency surface-to-air missiles simultaneously. The system also provides 360-degree coverage.
“Prior to signing the contract, the System was successfully tested last week in India as part of operational interception trial aboard India’s navy ship, demonstrating again the [LRSAM] System’s operational capabilities in a representative scenario with genuine target,” the IAI release read.
During the trial launch, the missile in midair “engaged the target, aligned its course, hit it and destroyed it,” IAI said. “All components of the weapon system have successfully met the goals set to them.”
