Mirage 2000 missile deal cleared
Posted by Kanchana Devi on January 5, 2012
New Delhi, Jan 5 (TruthDive): The deal on the Indian Air Forces Mirage 2000 fighters has been cleared on Wednesday, with the government approving a proposal to arm the French-origin fighter with air-to-air missiles that can engage targets beyond visual range (distances of 40 km and above).
India has cleared the deal by Rs 6,600-crore acquisition of 490 French advanced missile systems to arm the Mirage-2000 fighter jets, which are being upgraded under a separate Rs 10,947 crore programme finalized in July, 2010.
A Cabinet Committee on Security meeting chaired by PM Manmohan Singh cleared the modernisation deal for the Mirage fighters that will now provide the Air Force with 490 MICA missiles, manufactured by French missile firm MBDA.
This deal is in addition to an earlier modernisation contract worth Euro1.47 billion signed with French firms-Thales and Dassault to upgrade the fleet of 51 fighters. Mid-life upgrading of IAFs 51 Mirage-2000 fighters will take ten years to carry out.
The upgrade of the aircraft is expected to be completed by mid-2021, Defence Minister AK Antony recently informed Parliament.
Two aircrafts have already been flown to France for upgrades and the remaining would be modernised in India at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) facilities here in India. Modernising by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd include retrofitting with new avionics, radars, mission computers, glass cockpits, helmet-mounted displays, electronic warfare suites, weapon delivery and precision-targeting systems.
The overall Mirage upgrade project cost will cross Rs 20,000 crore, and it will take over a decade to be completed. This has led to some criticism that it would probably have been better to go in for new fighters. IAF, however, swears by the Mirage-2000 fighters, which have had an excellent track record with the force.
But the final approval to purchase a new fleet of basic trainers for the Air Force has been held back, pending clarifications from the Defence Ministry.
Posted by Kanchana Devi on January 5, 2012
New Delhi, Jan 5 (TruthDive): The deal on the Indian Air Forces Mirage 2000 fighters has been cleared on Wednesday, with the government approving a proposal to arm the French-origin fighter with air-to-air missiles that can engage targets beyond visual range (distances of 40 km and above).
India has cleared the deal by Rs 6,600-crore acquisition of 490 French advanced missile systems to arm the Mirage-2000 fighter jets, which are being upgraded under a separate Rs 10,947 crore programme finalized in July, 2010.
A Cabinet Committee on Security meeting chaired by PM Manmohan Singh cleared the modernisation deal for the Mirage fighters that will now provide the Air Force with 490 MICA missiles, manufactured by French missile firm MBDA.
This deal is in addition to an earlier modernisation contract worth Euro1.47 billion signed with French firms-Thales and Dassault to upgrade the fleet of 51 fighters. Mid-life upgrading of IAFs 51 Mirage-2000 fighters will take ten years to carry out.
The upgrade of the aircraft is expected to be completed by mid-2021, Defence Minister AK Antony recently informed Parliament.
Two aircrafts have already been flown to France for upgrades and the remaining would be modernised in India at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) facilities here in India. Modernising by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd include retrofitting with new avionics, radars, mission computers, glass cockpits, helmet-mounted displays, electronic warfare suites, weapon delivery and precision-targeting systems.
The overall Mirage upgrade project cost will cross Rs 20,000 crore, and it will take over a decade to be completed. This has led to some criticism that it would probably have been better to go in for new fighters. IAF, however, swears by the Mirage-2000 fighters, which have had an excellent track record with the force.
But the final approval to purchase a new fleet of basic trainers for the Air Force has been held back, pending clarifications from the Defence Ministry.