The long-range surface-to-air missile being developed with Israel will go in for national trials for the Navy once it is tested in Israel in October, with production following “definitely next year,†a top official of its production unit has said.
“The LR-SAM is almost ready for trials [from a ship]. A few trials are over and a few more are on. The Indian trial will be held once the October trial in Israel is over,†said V. Udaya Bhaskar, Chairman & Managing Director of the public sector Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL), Hyderabad.
The missile, said to reach targets of up to 70 km, is being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation and Israel Aerospace Industries for the Navy over the last five years.
“The Services require them in large numbers. If the trials are successful we may start producing in numbers possibly from late this year. It will be definitely in production from next year,†Mr. Udaya Bhaskar, who was in Bengaluru for an event on aerospace and defence manufacturing, said on the sidelines.
It was ramping up its facilities in a big way for increasing the number of new and ongoing missile programmes. “We have acquired 650 acres of land at Ibrahimpatnam [near Hyderabad] for the LR/MR-SAMs.
The requirement of the LR/MR-SAM from the Services would almost match the order of the Akash medium-range mobile-launched SAM, he said.
The Akash programme started in 2011 had matured over the last three years and had been delivered supplies for eight IAF squadrons. Half of the Army’s requirement for two regiments was done. Orders from the two Services amount to around Rs. 19,000 crore.
Source from India Defence News.
