With Indonesia keen to acquire the Astra missile, an air-to-air missile beyond 180 km visual range (BVR) developed by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), the Ministry of Defense has decided to open up the strategic missile sector to private Indian companies. The shift comes as the state-owned manufacturer, Bharat Dynamics Ltd, is unable to meet the growing requirements of the armed forces and missile exports to friendly third countries.
The Defense Ministry will soon put out a Request for Proposal (RFP) inviting private sector companies and conglomerates, including ICOMM, Adani, Bharat Forge, Tata Group and Mahindra Group, to manufacture the Astra Mark 2 missile with a range of 180-200 km, HT has learnt. The successfully tested missile counters the PL-15 E long-range air-to-air missile that China supplied to Pakistan in the run-up to Operation Sindoor last year. The Astra Mark 2 will be integrated with the Tejas Mark 1-A, MiG-29, Su-30 MKI and Rafale Marine fighters.
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According to people familiar with the matter, the next missile to be offered to the private sector for development and manufacturing is the two-stage Pralay tactical ballistic missile with a range of 500 km. Flying at six times the speed of sound, Pralay is part of the integrated missile force, which includes the newly developed Long-Range Land Attack Cruise Missile (LRLACM), the next-generation BrahMos and the long-range Pinaka multi-barrelled missile launch system, which can target enemies at a distance of 300 km.
With Operation Sindoor ushering in the era of standoff weapons in the Indian subcontinent, the Modi government wants to quickly build up its missile and missile arsenal to deter adversaries. The current focus is on offensive and defensive anti-ballistic missiles, as the war between Iran and the United States has shown how missiles can wreak havoc on critical infrastructure. In this context, India and Israel are developing a long-range surface-to-air missile to protect warships, while a multi-level anti-missile and anti-drone network is being built to deal with low-cost Turkish drones used by Pakistan, as well as long-range missiles and ballistic missiles used by the People’s Liberation Army.
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While the fifth S-400 air defense system will arrive in India in November, the Modi government plans to approve five more S-400 systems from Russia to secure the country’s skies from incoming enemy missiles. The S-400 system will be protected by the Russian Pantsir system against drones and kamikaze missiles.
