NEW DELHI \u2014\u00a0The\u00a0Indian\u00a0Army is lobbying to purchase quick reaction surface-to-air\u00a0missile systems (QRSAM) because\u00a0the homemade\u00a0Akash\u00a0air\u00a0defense\u00a0system is slower and\u00a0ineffective\u00a0while\u00a0on\u00a0the move,\u00a0an army\u00a0official said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The\u00a0reaction time\u00a0of\u00a0Akash\u00a0is\u00a0longer\u00a0and\u00a0has\u00a0a\u00a0radar\u00a0coverage less\u00a0than\u00a0360\u00a0degrees.\u00a0QRSAMs\u00a0are needed to defend formations in the forward tactical battlefield area\u00a0whereas\u00a0Akash\u00a0is\u00a0being used for\u00a0guarding its\u00a0assets located in deeper\u00a0areas inside the country,” said\u00a0the\u00a0official, who\u00a0spoke\u00a0on condition of anonymity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rahul\u00a0Bhonsle, a retired Indian Army brigadier general, said: “Akash is suited for static air defense where the response time may be longer, thus the same may not be suitable for employment in the tactical battle area given the need for quick reaction and speedy engagements. Moreover, it appears that the Army also wants a mobile AD system whereas the Akash may not be as agile and also has a larger footprint.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No\u00a0Ministry of\u00a0Defense (MoD) official\u00a0would comment\u00a0on the Indian\u00a0Army’s demand\u00a0that MoD purchase\u00a0a surface-to-air\u00a0missile system\u00a0to supplement\u00a0the\u00a0Akash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“This\u00a0is one of the major indigenous programs that has been shot down by the Army. Better coordination between the design and development agencies and the Army is crucial to prevent such occurrences and salvage\u00a0Make in India,”\u00a0said Ankur Gupta, an analyst with Ernst\u00a0and Young India.\u00a0The Make in India\u00a0policy’s goal is to reduce weapon imports from 70 percent of acquisitions to about 50 percent in the next 10 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since\u00a0the\u00a0only Indian-made Trishul\u00a0surface-to-air system, developed\u00a0by the Defence Research and\u00a0Development\u00a0Organisation (DRDO), was\u00a0dumped\u00a010 years\u00a0ago because\u00a0of technical failures, the\u00a0only option is to import\u00a0a\u00a0system,\u00a0the\u00a0Indian\u00a0Army official said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After\u00a0the Trishul\u00a0system\u00a0failed, the\u00a0Indian\u00a0Air\u00a0Force imported\u00a0the\u00a0Spyder from\u00a0Rafael Advanced Defense Systems of\u00a0Israel and\u00a0subsequently acquired\u00a0the\u00a0Akash\u00a0system\u00a0as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Indian\u00a0Army\u00a0has\u00a0acquired\u00a0only the\u00a0Akash,\u00a0worth over $2.5\u00a0billion, but\u00a0floated\u00a0a $1.5 billion tender to\u00a0acquire\u00a0more systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was issued\u00a0to global and\u00a0domestic defense companies, including\u00a0Russia’s Rosoboronexport,\u00a0Raytheon\u00a0of the United\u00a0States, Israel Aerospace Industries,\u00a0Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Tetraedr of Belarus, South Korea’s Doosan Group and LIG Nex1, Thales and Eurosam of France, Diehl Defense of Germany, and pan-European MBDA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
However,\u00a0no\u00a0MoD\u00a0official\u00a0would\u00a0comment\u00a0on the\u00a0status\u00a0of\u00a0procurement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A\u00a0tender\u00a0issued\u00a0in\u00a02008\u00a0had poor\u00a0response\u00a0from overseas\u00a0defense\u00a0companies\u00a0because\u00a0of issues\u00a0regarding\u00a0the transfer\u00a0of\u00a0technology,\u00a0and\u00a0the\u00a0technical features\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0requirement.\u00a0Only\u00a0Rafael\u00a0had\u00a0been selected\u00a0after\u00a0technical\u00a0evaluation, and\u00a0the tender had to be withdrawn because it was on a single vendor basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In\u00a02008,\u00a0bids were sent to Israel’s Rafael, Rheinmetall Defence of Germany, Raytheon of United States, Russia’s KPB Tula, MBDA of France but only MBDA\u00a0of France.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\u00a02013 tender\u00a0for\u00a0the\u00a0QRSAM\u00a0includes\u00a0purchase\u00a0of\u00a0three\u00a0squadrons of\u00a0the\u00a0surface-to-air\u00a0missile\u00a0systems\u00a0along with\u00a01485\u00a0missiles.\u00a0The\u00a0Indian\u00a0Army\u00a0 wanted the QRSAMs\u00a0to be\u00a0mounted on wheeled\u00a0or tracked\u00a0vehicles which have\u00a0a\u00a0speed of\u00a0up to\u00a040\u00a0kilometres per\u00a0hour. The radars\u00a0should be\u00a0of\u00a0contemporary\u00a0technology and\u00a0carry\u00a0out\u00a0surveillance\u00a0and target\u00a0acquisition on move. In addition, the\u00a0QRSAM\u00a0should\u00a0have\u00a0the\u00a0capability to\u00a0acquire\u00a0 targets\u00a0at an altitude\u00a0of\u00a0up to\u00a06\u00a0kilometres\u00a0and\u00a0a\u00a0minimum\u00a0altitude\u00a0of\u00a030\u00a0meters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While\u00a0the\u00a0Indian\u00a0Army has\u00a0asked\u00a0MoD\u00a0to acquire\u00a0the QRSAMs, it\u00a0has\u00a0not\u00a0rejected\u00a0the\u00a0home-grown\u00a0Akash\u00a0AD\u00a0system,\u00a0Indian\u00a0Army official\u00a0said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n