Lockheed Martin briefs Indian Navy on Aegis missile defence system

[Gabbar]

Lockheed Martin briefs Indian Navy on Aegis missile defence system
New Delhi, April 23 (IANS) US aerospace major Lockheed Martin has briefed the Indian Navy on its ship-mounted Aegis ballistic missile defence system and is also open to integrating it with indigenously developed armament, company officials said Thursday.
“We have briefed the Indian Navy on what is the only system that can cope with the highest state-of-the art threats,” Dan Howard, Lockheed Martin’s senior advisor for Asia and Pacific affairs, said at a select media interaction here.

“As for the response, that’s something you’ll have to ask the Indian Navy about,” he added.

Howard also said the company was open to collaborating with India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on integrating its Prithvi Air Defence Shield (PADS) with the Aegis launcher and command and control system.

“Yes, we are open to collaborative measures. It all depends on what you (the Indian Navy and DRDO) want,” the official said.

The Aegis system, explained Richard G. Kirkland, president for South Asia of Lockheed Martin Global Inc., “is not meant to defend the ship it is mounted on but tasked to defend a broad area of sea lanes”.

He pointed out that 14 successful tests of the Aegis system had been conducted so far to intercept incoming targets within and outside the earth’s atmosphere, including one in November 2007 in which two short-range ballistic missiles were near simultaneously intercepted and destroyed.

And, in February 2008, a long-range missile fired from a specially-modified Aegis system successfully shot down a toxic US satellite with a precision strike that ensured that no “hot” debris fell earthwards.

“We completed the modification in 60 days,” Kirkland pointed out.

The Aegis system can track more than 100 missiles with its electronic systems and supercomputers, and engage them according to their threat priority.

It can engage, and strike, targets in the air, on sea, on the surface, and also sub-surface. The system’s command and decision-making core allows its computers to differentiate between missiles, debris, and friendly aerial vehicles, launching an attack only on what needs to be attacked.

Apart from the US Navy, the Aegis system is operational on Japanese, South Korean, Norwegian, Spanish and Australian naval vessels.

It is currently deployed on 85 ships around the globe with more than 20 additional ships planned or under contract.

 

[haawk]

Lockheed Martin briefs Indian Navy on Aegis missile defence system

April 23rd, 2009 - 10:08 pm ICT by IANS -


New Delhi, April 23 (IANS) US aerospace major Lockheed Martin has briefed the Indian Navy on its ship-mounted Aegis ballistic missile defence system and is also open to integrating it with indigenously developed armament, company officials said Thursday.
“We have briefed the Indian Navy on what is the only system that can cope with the highest state-of-the art threats,” Dan Howard, Lockheed Martin’s senior advisor for Asia and Pacific affairs, said at a select media interaction here.

“As for the response, that’s something you’ll have to ask the Indian Navy about,” he added.

Howard also said the company was open to collaborating with India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on integrating its Prithvi Air Defence Shield (PADS) with the Aegis launcher and command and control system.

“Yes, we are open to collaborative measures. It all depends on what you (the Indian Navy and DRDO) want,” the official said.

The Aegis system, explained Richard G. Kirkland, president for South Asia of Lockheed Martin Global Inc., “is not meant to defend the ship it is mounted on but tasked to defend a broad area of sea lanes”.

He pointed out that 14 successful tests of the Aegis system had been conducted so far to intercept incoming targets within and outside the earth’s atmosphere, including one in November 2007 in which two short-range ballistic missiles were near simultaneously intercepted and destroyed.

And, in February 2008, a long-range missile fired from a specially-modified Aegis system successfully shot down a toxic US satellite with a precision strike that ensured that no “hot” debris fell earthwards.

“We completed the modification in 60 days,” Kirkland pointed out.

The Aegis system can track more than 100 missiles with its electronic systems and supercomputers, and engage them according to their threat priority.

It can engage, and strike, targets in the air, on sea, on the surface, and also sub-surface. The system’s command and decision-making core allows its computers to differentiate between missiles, debris, and friendly aerial vehicles, launching an attack only on what needs to be attacked.

Apart from the US Navy, the Aegis system is operational on Japanese, South Korean, Norwegian, Spanish and Australian naval vessels.

It is currently deployed on 85 ships around the globe with more than 20 additional ships planned or under contract.

 

[Energon]

don't be silly. Nobody's giving anybody anything. If India wants the system they're going to have to buy it.

 

[PeacefulIndian]

don't be silly. Nobody's giving anybody anything. If India wants the system they're going to have to buy it.

I think that is what the article implies.

As mentioned in the article, I am looking forward to the integration of Aegis technology with our indigenous PAD Shield.

 

[maverick2009]

Usa Seems to be breaking all previuos bounderies and wants to Americanise India entire armed forces ASAP.

The Russians and the Israelis must be getting twitchy

 

[Gabbar]

Already been posted, mods please merge these two threads!!!

http://www.defence.pk/forums/india-...indian-navy-aegis-missile-defence-system.html

 

[old monk]

we dont need AEGIS as DRDO is developing one based on PDV...

AEGIS is on sale because India developed comparable technology and to kill India's further development on subject.. DRDO has to and will counter this by developing similar system

there's no way that Indian navy goes for this... unless corruption..

 

[NyczAce]

^^
Ya, i think we should refrain ourselves from going too close to the US.Development is already in full swing...PDV, Bhramos.

 

[yh1]

It doesn't look like a first sight love. USA is expecting Indians play more important role against China.

 

[NyczAce]

It doesn't look like a first sight love. USA is expecting Indians play more important role against China.

Yup, this is a theory...maybe.But in the past few months, everyone has seen how the US cant live without China and vice-versa.

 

[Squallmao]

I hope Indian navy will accept this offer and drop their own design, rely on US from now on

 

[zraver]

we dont need AEGIS as DRDO is developing one based on PDV...

AEGIS is on sale because India developed comparable technology and to kill India's further development on subject.. DRDO has to and will counter this by developing similar system

there's no way that Indian navy goes for this... unless corruption..

Or sound strategic planning based on reliable estimates of all the factors.

1. China is deploying Aegis type warships
2. China has or is developing a BM based anti-ship system
3. The PLAAF is big and getting more technologically advanced.
4. The PLAAF and PLAN both have a wide range of modern anti-ship missiles.

What this means is that if China and India do end up in a war (and militaries plan for the worst case, not the best) then China has or will soon have the ability to possible force the straits of Mallacca. The Indian navy as proud as it is could be sunk as surely as the Repulse and Prince of Wales.

Now to counter that India has three options

Buy Aegis with SM2/3
Buy Aegis and use domestic missiles
Only use domestic technology.

Aegis and the SM family are real and proven- India's system is still under development. The problem with re-inventing the wheel (duplicating Aegis) is the extra cost, the time involved and the fact that it might not work. Each day and year adds to China's growing lead or shrinks the remaining gap between the In and the PLAN depending on how you view the correlation of forces.

Plus there are other factors to be considered.

1. the clsoer the US and India the more pressure the US can use with Russia to eventually get India a P5 or P7 seat.

2. The more India replaces China in the US the better both the US and Indian strategic postures. Vis a vis Taiwan of the IN intercepting China bound goods like oil during a war.

 

[satishkumarcsc]

1. the clsoer the US and India the more pressure the US can use with Russia to eventually get India a P5 or P7 seat.

I thought China was the only country that was objecting for the Indian permanent seat.

 

[white_pawn]

It doesn't look like a first sight love. USA is expecting Indians play more important role against China.

yh1 i agree with you on this matter, bcoz its US;s stratagy and is used against lots of other nations. Look at Pakistan, Tiwan, South Korea, japan etc....

 

[Contrarian]

Or sound strategic planning based on reliable estimates of all the factors.

1. China is deploying Aegis type warships
2. China has or is developing a BM based anti-ship system
3. The PLAAF is big and getting more technologically advanced.
4. The PLAAF and PLAN both have a wide range of modern anti-ship missiles.

What this means is that if China and India do end up in a war (and militaries plan for the worst case, not the best) then China has or will soon have the ability to possible force the straits of Mallacca. The Indian navy as proud as it is could be sunk as surely as the Repulse and Prince of Wales.

Now to counter that India has three options

Buy Aegis with SM2/3
Buy Aegis and use domestic missiles
Only use domestic technology.

Aegis and the SM family are real and proven- India's system is still under development. The problem with re-inventing the wheel (duplicating Aegis) is the extra cost, the time involved and the fact that it might not work. Each day and year adds to China's growing lead or shrinks the remaining gap between the In and the PLAN depending on how you view the correlation of forces.

Plus there are other factors to be considered.

1. the clsoer the US and India the more pressure the US can use with Russia to eventually get India a P5 or P7 seat.

2. The more India replaces China in the US the better both the US and Indian strategic postures. Vis a vis Taiwan of the IN intercepting China bound goods like oil during a war.

There's another thing to consider here.

Does the Indian govt consider war immiment. If so then buying Aegis system would indeed be a better course of action.

If not however, it would be foolishness of the highest degree. Buying of the Aegis system with the associated missiles would mean that work on the indigenous system would be abandoned as a Technology Demonstrator or some of its lessons taken in. But for the most part, the investment put in, would be wasted.

Buying of US equipment would make India dependent on the US for this kind of system in the future as well. Everything would have to be paid for, with Indian money being used for further research in the US, putting money in the US economy as opposed to Indian economy. The further upgrades brought about by research would again have to be bought by India. It thus becomes a cycle.

This is not feasible course of action. While you talk about the extra cost and time involved, you do also realize that India and US are not allies, with different views and approaches to a whole host of things. And thus, being bound to US for equipment as crucial as this, would make India further susceptible to US influence. And though this being a globalized world, means no nation barring maybe the US or Russia(and thats a maybe) can be totally self sufficient in everything, minimizing that risk would be a prudent course of action for the long run.


This especially as good research has been done on the equipment, with a few successful tests to its name, which implies that the technological and design base on which the Indian scientists are working is sound.

There is a history of the US not introducing new capability in the region(South Asia) when it is not available already domestically or from other sources. In this case, it implies that the work being done on the indigenous PAD/AAD is proceeding satisfactorily, and thus the offer for AEGIS systems.

By all accounts, going it alone with additional help taken when required is by far the best course of action if the Govt feels that war is not imminent in the near future.