Ministry plans to reissue the MANPAD Tender

Ministry plans to reissue the MANPAD Tender

   The Defense ministry plans to re issues a tender to procure man portable air defense systems for the Indian Army. As first the RFI issued in early 2010. Following with weapon system trails in Indian conditions which include high altitude winters and hot weather trails in Mahajan Range. Indian Army almost short listed the Russian Igla S system and forced to perform some tough trials include live air interception. The Results are varied since it failed to hit the target Multiple times.

    It's back in 2012, Indian Army invited the Russian Igla S demonstration team to perform live interception. The firing trails started in Mahajan range, The Igla S failed to perform to meet Army criteria. The Igla S Scored only one shot out of four firings. Then Army plans to start the sea trails. where two shots fired only one hits the target. Army told the Russians to repeat the trails giving a chance to Russians to perform better in next time.

    During the next trials, Igla S Managed to hit all targets, four targets set for interceptions, and all of them destroyed, However Army find issues in the sights in cold trails, And the Army evaluation team suggested the Russians to modify the Sight lens, Receiver metrics and it's software's. Army gives another chance to Russians to prove the capability of Igla S later 2013.

    During 2012, USA offered it's Stinger missiles to Indian MANPAD tender. This forced the Indians to re evaluate the entire contract. India asked the US firm to provide know how technology and asks co producing those units in India. US denied the Indian offer and that's the closure of 2010 RFI.

Stinger MANPAD

    After pressures from the armed forces, Ministry once again floated the MANPAD tender, This time too the same companies who participated earlier comes again. The new tender added one more condition that's the Transfer of Technology and most of the Firing units could be produced in Indian private companies only.

    The trails once again conducted in the same place and results also same, However Army didn't published the actual test results. However the companies who offered the MANPAD systems find difficulty's in the tender. The contenders like Russian Rosboronexport who offered the Igla S, France MBDA who offered the Mistral and the Sweden SAAB who offered RBS 70 NG found there is a lack of transparency in the procurement process. As clearly Indian government wants the technology of the MANPAD's. While the foreigners are not ready to share with Indian Companies.

    The above Reason makes the Second RFI also withdrawn, due to the above known issues. Earlier the French MBDA teamed up with Larson and Tubro, and the SAAB joined with state owned PSU Bharath  Electronics. They were ready to produce those systems in Indian companies while they didn't provide critical technologies like seekers and firing guidance systems.

    This time government stricken the procurement plans under Indian vendors only, Which means 100% of Make in India. This also pave the way to compete new private defense companies like Punj Lloyd and Bharath Forge. Under this new RFI the Armed forces buy entire missiles systems from an Indian company.

    Foreign companies who makes the MANPAD's teamed up with Indian vendors may compete in the RFI. The government short list the low price vendor as L1 bidder, and start negotiate for procurement. Indian government ink contract with only Indian companies who also have stakes in foreign companies who offered the MANPAD's. As simply MBDA and L&T jointly proposes the Mistral missile and Army impressed with the performance and price tag. The contract goes to L&T and L&T makes those Missiles in Indian plants.

Mistral MANPAD

   Indian Army currently using decade old early model of Russian Igla MANPAD systems. Those systems are running behind the schedule. Army wants a man-portable system weighing less than 25 kilograms with fire-and-forget capability. Other Army requirements include a capability of engaging aerial targets day or night with an effective range of 6 kilometers.

   As per the RFI of MANPADs in 2010, Of the 5,175 missiles and associated equipment sought under the 2010 tender, 2,315 missiles were to be delivered fully assembled and 1,260 partially assembled, with 1,000 missiles to be assembled entirely in India and 600 to be made at Indian facilities.  Associated equipment includes launchers, sensors, thermal imaging sights, and command-and-control units.

Army VSHORAD Tender

Army VSHORAD Tender 

French UN peacekeepers with Mistral

     After years of evaluation the Army is all set to award the tender for VSHORAD systems valued at around $ 1 billion. VSHORAD( Very Short Range Air Defence ) system is basically an air defence system with a canister launchable missile system that is mounted on a stable platform. VSHORAD contains of a long range twin tubes equipped with ECCM suites. The VSHORAD is a Long awaited tender for which the army has completed an extensive battery of field trails and a final report drafted.

    The tests included putting the system to use under extreme climatic conditions, Coastal environmental Trails, High altitude Trails each of these trails proving the capabalities of the system.

    After extensive initial trails only three contenders of the five contenders remain in the race to supply the system Indian Army. Chiron and Starstrak were knocked out afer the initial evaluation.French Mistral, Swedish SAAB RBS 70NG and the Russian new generation Igla-S continue to be in extensive trials before the final contract is awarded. The VSHORADS requirements will be largely met by a local manufacturing line, and a mandatory offsets requirement will apply.

      The deal comprises supplying of a total of one thousand launchers along with six thousands missiles and support systems and training systems, also here the Mistral and Igla S uses the IR based homing for target lock while only the SAAB RBS 70 uses the Laser based homing for target lock, while compared to IR homing the Laser homing have disadvantages like Most of the Fighter jets have RWR (Radar warning Receivers ) and MAWS sensors which can easily alert the pilot if the aircraft has been lased by
any laser lights and can alert the pilot to put in use the counter measures. VSHORAD have a very short range which is about 10 or less kilometers.  Battlefield is a chaos filled area and the ability of laser guidance missile to find or lock on to targets is greatly compromised under various circumstances. Saab’s RBS-70 NG is a beam ridden system with a Hard 3D short range radar attached to it alongside a C2 system and battery commander terminal. It fires within an 8km range at an altitude of 5km, which very well exceeds the Indian requirements.
    




    Back in the end of 2013, the US offered it's stinger missiles under Foreign Military sales, but which but failed to pass the stringent standards set by the Indian Army Evaluation team.

Igla-S

Twin tube Igla-S VSHORAD

As of now the Indian Army uses the Igla-S the Russian MANPAD which is a battle proven system under the Indian condition earlier our MANPAD crew shot downed two Pakistani helicopters using the Igla-S. Igla is a cheap, easy to maintain and use system. It's a highly portable, very effective system compared to other contenders. During the trails in summer 2012 Igla failed to hit the targets where it shot down only one out of four targets, during the sea trails the system failed produce any impressive results, in the high altitude tests the Igla's failed to intercept any target.

 The Igla S can engage targets at the Altitude upto 20000 feet, where as it's operation range remains classified.

MBDA Mistral

Twin Tube Mistral Launcher

       Mistral is the latest generation Fire and Forget missile, It's a man portable, fully digital heat seeking missile. The Mistral has a 97% of kill probability compared to other systems in the range of low level air defence. The missile is having high kill probability as well as can maneuver upto 30 G ,  which can hit highly maneuverable Combat Jets and Helicopters. The system can be used in all rough weather conditions and be put to use under any condition. MBDA can also be deployed under stand alone mode.

SAAB RBS 70 NG

SAAB RBS 70 NG, surveillance radar in the foreground

        The SAAB offered the RBS 70 next generation variant which is claimed to be unjammable. It uses the Laser beam for Target acquire and Lock function. During the SAAB evaluation in Sweden which exhibited to seventeen country's defence officials the system scored a hundred percent kill probability. Unlike the IR guided missiles which are easily jammable, the RBS 70 uses the Laser beam riding which can't be jammed in open area's. The RBS 70 NG range is classified but according reliable sources the missile can engage a target up to 8 kilometers away flying at an altitude of 16000 feet . Unlike other systems the RBS 70 needs a surveillance radar where three to five stations can operate under one Radar.

      The RBS 70 NG can be used in any tough conditions, the system will work under stand alone mode too according to SAAB reports.


Editor Kathik Kakoor