Your correspondent was invited to visit an army aviation squadron in Jammu and Kashmir, to get a first hand feel of their functioning. Take a look at the operating routine of the 202 Army Aviation Squadron (UH), which operates the Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH).
French firm MBDA will supply 450 MICA interception and aerial combat missiles as part of the second phase of plans for upgrading the Mirage fleet of the Indian Air Force (IAF). India had last July signed a $2.4 billion deal with French defense firms Thales and Dassault for upgrading the Mirages.
‘With Mistral having already won a competition to arm India’s ALH Dhruv helicopters, MBDA has also been keen to propose all the advantages that the missile offers as a ground-based air defense weapon’, calling the ‘supply logistics’, ‘service and maintenance benefits’ of a ‘multiple use missile’ to be ‘an added advantage’.
With the USD 2.4 billion Mirage-2000 upgrade deal with France in its final stages, India’s defense ministry and air force top brass seem to be split over the high costs and likely benefits to the country’s future air power needs.
The Indian Ministry of Defense has opened bids for the tri-service purchase of Very Short Range Air Defense (VSHORAD) systems. The initial purchase of 5185 units is expected to be worth USD 5.8 billion (INR 26,000 crore).
The European arms firm MBDA has offered its services for stockpile management to the Indian armed forces, saying it can help achieve cost savings of up to 30 per cent, besides configuring life extensions of existing stock and improving safety.
Trials unlikely to end with a clear result.
