Blow to Make In India: Indian Army to discard Akash and buy Israeli missiles

Indian Army won’t be using the much-touted indigenous Akash missiles anymore, as they are likely to make way for the Israeli quick-reaction surface-to-air missiles (QR-SAMs).

Sources from the Defence Ministry say that the Army is very clear about not wanting any more Akash regiments after it gets the first two that it had already ordered for Rs 14,180 crore. These regiments would come with six firing batteries and hundreds of missiles each.

This move is detrimental to the 'Make in India' policy, especially after the Indian Navy has turned to France for similar requirements, having dumped the Akash missiles.

"The Army holds Akash area defence missile systems do not meet its operational requirements for defending its strike corps against enemy air attacks in forward areas. Instead, it wants the global route for procurement of four QR-SAM regiments," a source told TOI.

Indian Army is said to have done extensive research and field trials on missile systems from Israel, Russia and Sweden, after which the Israeli Spyder QR-SAMs emerged as the winner.

Indian Air Force is also preparing to induct four Spyder units from February 2017 onwards, even as it is progressively inducting 15 Akash missile squadrons, worth around Rs 10,900 crore. TOI reports suggest that six of these squadrons would be sent to the northeast to counter China's build-up of military infrastructure across the Line of Actual Control.

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