The Indian government company Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) awarded Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) a $630 million contract to supply the Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LRSAM) systems for use in four Indian navy ships, the company said on May 21.
BEL serves as the main contractor in this project as part of India’s “Make in India” policy.
The LRSAM is an air and missile defense system based on the Barak 8 surface-to-air missile. These systems were jointly developed by IAI and India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) while collaborating with IAI subsidiary Elta Systems Ltd., Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, and several other Indian companies.
The LRSAM includes a phased-array radar (MFSTAR), command and control system, launchers, and missiles that feature radio frequency (RF) seekers.
The LRSAM was tested the week of May 15, before the contract was signed, as part of an operational interception trial aboard an Indian navy ship to demonstrate the system’s operational capabilities in a representative scenario with a genuine target, the company said.
In the trial, the MFSTAR radar aboard the Indian ship identified the airborne threat and tracked it over its flight course. This data was then sent to the weapon’s command center, which launched an interceptor missile into orbit. After launching, the missile navigated to the target, aligned its course, then hit and destroyed it. All weapon components successfully met their goals, IAI said.
“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,” Joseph Weiss, IAI president and CEO, said in a statement.
“We take pride, along with our partners in India, in the great results of the trail conducted last week, which reestablishes the System’s reliability and quality as well as its advanced technological capabilities. IAI is in an accelerated process to supply the various air and missile defense systems to the client,” Boaz Levi, executive vice president and general manager of IAI’s systems, missiles and space group added.