India scraps $500m deal for Israeli missiles, turns to indigenous production

The Indian Defense Ministry has decided to cancel the $500m deal with Rafael of Israel for the development and production of a man-portable Spike anti-tank guided missile (ATGM),  preferring to indigenously develop and produce this weapon at home. Earlier, India had rejected an offer from the US Raytheon-Lockheed Martin for Javelin ATGMs on the same grounds.
Negotiations for the deal with Rafael were completed last year amid growing Indo-Israeli defense cooperation. In anticipation of the sale, Rafael built a missile sub-systems manufacturing facility near Hyderabad, which was inaugurated in August. Sources at Rafael say they have no knowledge of the Indian Defense Ministry’s decision to cancel the anti-tank missile deal and are going ahead with production without pause.
India’s Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), having produced the Nag and Anamika ATGMs, is confident it can also provide the army with a 3rd generation missile technology on a par with Spike, but it will take three to four years. Meanwhile, the army will suffer a setback to its modernization program. It appears that the DRDO and the army were at odds on the Israeli Spike deal, and the army gave way to the former’s demand to scrap it.

Spike MR missile is a 3rd generation, fire and forget, top attack, ATGM with a range of 2.5 km, which can operate both during the day and night. The Indian Army is currently using 2nd generation ATGMs — Konkurs and Milan 2T — which do not have night-fighting capabilities. Moreover, it is currently short of around 68,000 missiles, with none to spare for War Wastage Reserves

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6 thoughts on “India scraps $500m deal for Israeli missiles, turns to indigenous production

  • Nov 20, 2017 @ 17:51 at 17:51
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    India is too intelligent and technologically advanced to buy Rafael sticks with some flames at one end and with a speed less than the speed of light! We have the plans for powerful lightning fast vimanas, just read Ramayana and Mahabharata!

    We have the plans for vimanas model Ravana, Sundara, Tripura, and also the Rukma with vertical take off.

    All these are indestructible, invisible; capable of rendering the enemy into a state intellectual torpor; capable of destruction; and with armonious forms and pleasant colors.

    So, no buy, it is been decided! And we do not intend buy russian weapons at all. But, even if we buy russian, there will be no buying of rockets. And even if some buying of russian rocket might happen, there will be absolutely no yoga training for their instructors. However, the spare parts stock for maintenance will be protected with yoga carpets.

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    • Nov 20, 2017 @ 18:12 at 18:12
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      AHhhahhahhahahh!! Raj Gopesh very funny guy!

      Reply
  • Nov 20, 2017 @ 18:37 at 18:37
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    Typical corruption. The Arab money is in the play.

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  • Nov 20, 2017 @ 20:31 at 20:31
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    It is hoped that Israel can use these against Hezbollah.

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  • Nov 21, 2017 @ 7:20 at 7:20
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    Shame
    Indias epic level of corruption comes to the fore, once more.
    DRDO has been ‘developing’ at ATGM for over 15 years now, squandered 100’s of millions of R&D and produced nothing.
    The army managed to convince enough people they needed this, and got it through, but, corruption once again has won out in that benighted bureaucracy… Enough money changed hands to force the government to again renege on a signed deal, instead handing over countless more 100’s of millions to DRDO, which will fail to produce a working missile for another 10 years, at which point it will once again be put out to international tender.

    God help the Indian army should they actually ever have to face off against anyone in conventional warfare.
    Bureaucrats in that country are horrendously wealthy and the military is forced to make do with worn out old or non working locally produced new equipment.

    Reply

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