US to supply missile warning systems to India

The United States will supply a missile approach warning system to India to help military aircraft in deploying counter-measures when an enemy missile is fired upon.

Developed by Alliant Techsystems Operations at Florida, the missile warning system for the Indian Air Force and Navy would come by around 2017. India is purchasing the system using the foreign military sales route.

The firm has received a $30 million contract from the US government to made these systems for the American armed forces as well as for India, Australia, Spain and Norway. The AN/AAR-47 (V) missile warning set comprises of electro-optic counter-measure sensors, counter-measure signal processors and counter-measure signal simulators.

The commercial contract was finalised within a month of the summit meeting between the US President Barak Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

New Delhi and Washington negotiated the texts of the Defence Framework Agreement between the two countries for the next 10 years as the existing framework signed by then defence minister Pranab Mukherjee and his counterpart Donald Rumsfeld expired in 2014. The new pact, which is yet to be signed, focuses on co-production.

The two countries identified four joint pathfinder military projects besides creating a working group to explore the possibility of using cutting edge American technologies for Indian Navy’s future aircraft carrier, whose design is still being worked out. A collaboration on jet engine technology is also in the offing.

The pathfinder projects are on mini-UAV, a proposed roll-on/roll-off mission modules for C-130 and other aircraft, mobile electric hybrid power sources and uniform integrated protection ensemble for the nuclear, biological, chemical (NBC) warfare environment.

“While these pathfinder projects have stand-alone value, we intend for them to serve as pathfinder or pilots for deeper levels of cooperation between our military. I envision a day when American and Indian engineers sit side-by-side – or at least virtually – producing cutting-edge designs to be produced in partnership,” Frank Kendall, US Under Secretary of Defence for acquisition, Technology and Logistics said.

Kendall, who is visiting India for the third time in five months, held talks with Indian officials to kick start the projects under the defence technology and trade initiatives between New Delhi and Washington.