India’s Purchase of Anti-Air Missiles Faces Scrutiny
Posted 09/03/07 19:43
By VIVEK RAGHUVANSHI, NEW DELHI
DefenseNews.com
The Indian Air Force’s planned purchase of 18 Spyder Low Level Quick Reaction Missiles (LLQRMs) from Israel’s Rafael Armament Development Authority may be in jeopardy.
Defence Ministry officials here have asked that the estimated $325 million procurement plan be reviewed by the Central Vigilance Commission, the government’s anti-corruption agency.
Ministry officials called this a routine step.
But other ministry sources said there had been complaints that defense agents illicitly influenced the bidding process, in which Rafael beat out MBDA, the European missile firm.
Ministry officials conceded that the decision to buy the Rafael missile might be voided and the competition held anew.
Rafael and MBDA emerged on the short list for the job earlier this year, part of a group of bidders from France, Israel, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
Meanwhile, Indian Air Force officials are changing their requirements, asking for 36 more missiles and adding that they should be auto-loaded into their launchers, unlike the current manually loaded Spyders.
The Air Force officials said Rafael might be given the contract if the Spyder can operate with an autoloader.
India began looking to foreign firms after its homegrown Trishul LLQRM was rejected by the Army, Navy and Air Force.
Begun in 1984 by India’s state-owned Defence Research and Development Organisation, the missile failed to hit targets on the 9-kilometer range in more than two dozen tests over the last two years, an Air Force official said.
The missile is supposed to travel a speed of at least Mach 3; avoid countermeasures; and knock down aircraft, helicopters, UAVs and precision-guided munitions. If the missile misses, it is to re-engage within two seconds.
The LLQRMs will replace about 100 Russian OSA self-propelled anti-aircraft missile launchers. Simply replacing the OSAs would have cost about $200 million, Air Force officials said.
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