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Akash induction unlikely to hit France’s Maitri project
Despite the adoption of the indigenously developed surface-to-air Akash missile by the Indian armed forces, French missile manufacturer MBDA is hopeful of the Maitri project in collaboration with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The delay in the development of the Akash Mk-II missile has raised the French company’s hopes.
“Do you have a date?” Loïc Piedevache, chief of MBDA’s India operations, says with sarcasm when he was informed about that the Akash-II could put the short-range surface-to-air missile (SRSAM), to be developed under the Maitri project, out of contention in India.
The Akash missiles that are now deployed by the IAF and the Army have outdated technology, says Piedevache. Defending himself, he said, “I am not saying Akash is a bad missile. All I am saying is that Akash meets certain requirements while the SRSAM meets some others,” says the MBDA country head.
The SRSAM on offer will have a seeker which the Akash does not possess. The launch trajectories of Akash and the proposed SRSAM are also different.
The Maitri project for joint development and production of a short-range surface-to-air missile (SRSAM) system was initiated in 2007 between the DRDO and MBDA. A MoU to co-develop the missile was signed during French President Francois Hollande’s visit to India in 2013.
Since then, the situation has changed as the Indian Air Force has inducted the Akash surface-to-air missiles. The Navy, the other potential client for SRSAM, has apparently given up on the Indo-French venture and has started looking for surface-to-air missiles elsewhere.
Admitting that the Maitri project has been facing delays, Piedevache says the delay is primarily due to the change at the Central government in Delhi. “The groundwork for the missile has been completed and we may be only days or weeks away from getting the final approval from the government,” he said.
With DRDO outfits DRDL (Defence Research and Development Laboratory, Hyderabad) and BDL (Bharat Dynamics Limited, Hyderabad) being identified, respectively, as the design agency and the production agency of the missile, the SRSAM will be “80 per cent Indian”, says the MBDA country head. It will be a finest example of the Modi government’s “Make in India” initiative, he said.
The SRSAM (15km to 40 km range) will be an Indian product and the government can export it to other countries too if it wishes to do so, Piedevache says and adds that all critical components of the missile will be manufactured in India. “We shall be there only to offer expertise”, he says.
Source:- Akash induction unlikely to hit France’s Maitri project
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