DRDO, IAI, MBDA products to Improve Indian Air Force Air Defence Capabilities

In a recent interview, the Indian Air Force Air Chief Marshal P.V. Naik had been quoted saying that the Indian Air Force was close to having a 50 percent obsolence level in its equipment. This was largely a reference to the air defence capabilities of the Indian Air Force.

For the past few years, however, the Government has moved to address these gaps in capabilities with the following orders / upgrades planned:

• December 2010 - President Sarkozy's Visit: Formal accord likely to be signed and joint development work to begin for the 15-km.-range Indo-French Maitri short-range SAM (SR-SAM). Workshare agreement between the Indian Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and European defense major MBDA has been concluded. An MBDA official says the SR-SAM would finish development work and the first phase of testing within three years of program go-ahead. The system is likely to be available for deployment by late 2013.
• February 2011 - IAF will receive its first two Akash batteries in February, and is likely to deploy them in India's Northeast. The IAF decided to order six more Akash batteries worth USD $925 million -- each with 125 missiles -- in addition to the two systems already on order.
• March 2011 - IAF receive the first of 18 Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)-Rafael Spyder quick-reaction medium-range missile systems. The offshore deal became necessary in 2006 because of delays in the indigenous Akash surface-to-air missile (SAM) program.
• DRDO is developing with IAI a 70-km.-range Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MR-SAM). The IAF plans to raise at least two regiments that will use the MR-SAM, each with 40 launchers and support equipment. In India, the MR-SAM will progressively replace the antiquated Soviet-vintage SA-3 Pechora and SA-8 OSA-AK SAM systems.
• Radar coverage - The IAF currently has fast-track tenders out for long-range surveillance radars, high-powered radars, three-dimensional C/D band air surveillance radars, low-level transportable radars and radars for mountain surveillance in India's northern and eastern sectors.      ( By India Defense)