India clears Rs 17,000 crore air defense missile deal with Israel
NEW DELHI : Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the greenlight to purchase an air defence missile system from Israel as part of a plan to protect India from enemy aircraft.
India will acquire the Medium Range Surface to Air Defence Missile (MR-SAM) system from Israel at a cost of Rs 17,000 crore. As part of the plan, the Army will induct more than five regiments of MR-SAM, which will have around 40 firing units and over 200 missiles.
“In a meeting of the cabinet committee on security headed by the Prime Minister, the proposal for procuring the MR-SAM air defence system for the Army was approved,” India Today quoted an official as saying.
The MR-SAM system, jointly developed by DRDO and Israeli Aircraft Industry, reportedly can shoot down enemy aircraft between 50 to 70 km range.
“The delivery of the first system for the Army units will begin in 72 months of the signing of the contract and they would be ready for deployment in field areas by the year 2023,” the report said citing sources.
India and Israel are jointly developing similar systems for the Air Force and the Navy.
