Strategic Investment: Indian Army's Rs 6800 Cr push for indigenous shoulder-fired missiles across Pakistan & China borders

New Delhi, April 22: Facing shortages in shoulder-fired missiles to counter aerial threats along its borders with China and Pakistan, the Indian Army is advancing two initiatives valued at over Rs 6,800 crore to develop Very Short Range Air Defence Systems domestically.

 

 

 

 

The Army intends to procure and produce over 500 launchers and approximately 3000 missiles through indigenous channels, suggest reports. Additionally, it is reconsidering an earlier tender, which had selected the Russian Igla-S system, due to delays in finding a replacement for the aging Igla-1M missiles. Officials from the Defence Ministry noted that the current inventory of VSHORAD missiles in the Indian Army and Indian Air Force predominantly features infrared (IR) homing guidance systems. The Igla 1M VSHORAD missile system, introduced in 1989, was scheduled for decommissioning in 2013.

 

 

 

 

A project worth Rs 4,800 crore is currently underway, with involvement from a public sector unit in Hyderabad and a private firm in Pune, to develop laser beam riding VSHORADS. This system aims to defend borders against enemy drones, fighter aircraft, and helicopters. The project, spearheaded by the Indian Army, plans to supply 200 launchers and 1200 missiles to both branches of the military.

 

 

 

 

 

However, industry sources suggest that progress in this program has been sluggish. Another initiative led by the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) is in progress to develop an infra-red homing-based VSHORADS. DRDO is collaborating with Adani Defence and I-Comm to produce laser beam riding VSHORADS, with successful testing conducted on a tripod-based system. Efforts are now underway to downsize the system for shoulder-fired use.

 

 

 

 

To address immediate needs, the Indian Army and Air Force have utilized Emergency Procurement powers to acquire 96 launchers of the Russian Igla system, with 48 already delivered. There is also discussion about reviving a previously scrapped contract, where the Russian Igla-S system emerged as the lowest bidder. Stakeholders are expected to convene soon to explore options for executing the project under the 'Make in India' initiative.

 

The significance and effectiveness of VSHORAD missiles have been underscored in various conflicts, including the recent Russia-Ukraine conflict, according to Defence Ministry officials. Consequently, the Indian forces are actively pursuing replacements for their outdated VSHORADS system.

 

--