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France’s Thales pitching pods for India’s fighters
As India and France negotiate the final agreement for the direct purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Paris recently, the Thales group of France, a partner in the Rafale deal, is in talks with India for supply of its Damocles multi-function targeting pods for the Mirage 2000 fighters and potentially for the Rafale jets.
“Talks with India are at an advanced stage,” a senior Thales official told The Hindu last week without specifying the details. India has contracted Dassault for the upgrade of its Mirage 2000 jets and the first two upgraded fighters had been handed over to the Indian Air Force recently.
Targeting pods facilitate high-resolution imaging, targeting and weapons guidance in all weather conditions during day and night. The Indian Air Force currently employs Israeli-built targeting pods on its frontline fighters.
The Damocles pods, which are known for its high stability and flexibility and are currently in service in several countries in Asia, can be integrated into India’s Sukhoi-30 aircraft, the official said.
Make in India
The joint venture formed by Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL) and Thales for manufacturing civil and military radars has started production for the Air Force. BEL holds a 74 per cent stake in the joint venture, which was announced in 2012.
Showcasing the assembly of ground radars for shipment, Peter Terpstra of Thales Air Systems said, “The radars would eventually be fully manufactured in India except for a few components” showing Thales’s commitment for the “Make in India” initiative.
Source:- France’s Thales pitching pods for India’s fighters - The Hindu
Background Info - Thales was to supply 19 GS100 radars to the Indian Air Force for €110 million - initial six radars were built at its Limours facility, southwest of Paris and in order to meet the Indian offset and technology transfer commitments the rest 13 radars will be built by BEL at its Ghaziabad Facility for which in 2014 the BEL-Thales Systems JV was formed in which Bharat Electronics Ltd. holds 74 per cent stake and Thales of France holds the rest 26 per cent.
The GS 100, based on the SR3D radar platform, is a mobile, modular and multifunctional sensor designed to track complex target manoeuvres at very low altitudes. The sensor can detect and track targets up to a range of 180 km. The SR3D platform is also used in the Ground Master 400 long range radar, launched into the market in 2007.
GS-100 is a AESA radar with low-altitude search capability that can track targets up to 180 km range. The targets could range from conventional aircraft to cruise missiles, UAVs and even stealthy aircraft. The entire system can be packed into a standard ISO 20-foot shipping container and shipped by road or air. It can be deployed by a four man crew within 30 minutes.
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