Defence ministry finally clears Barak missile deal with Israel - The Times of India
NEW DELHI: With the CBI moving for closure of the infamous Barak kickbacks case, the defence ministry on Monday cleared the long-pending naval case for procurement of an additional 262 Barak-I missiles for Rs 880 crore.
The defence acquisitions council led by A K Antony also cleared the projects for acquisition of 41 Dhruv advanced light helicopters, two deep submergence submarine rescue vessels and 16 anti-submarine missile boats, all together totalling over Rs 16,000 crore.
The clearance for the Barak case — which will have to get the final nod from the Cabinet committee on security — will come as a big relief for the Navy because it has been grappling with a critical shortage of missiles to arm the Israeli Barak-I anti-missile defence (AMD) systems fitted on 14 frontline warships.
The Navy has for long been sounding the alarm over its fast depleting stock of missiles for the Barak-I AMD systems which intercept hostile incoming sea-skimming missiles at a 9-km range that act as a defensive shield for aircraft carrier INS Viraat, the latest Shivalik stealth frigates and guided-missile destroyers.
India had ordered the first Barak system for INS Viraat in the late-1990s to counter Pakistan's acquisition of sea-skimming Exocet and Harpoon missiles. DRDOs abject failure to develop the indigenous Trishul AMD system paved the way for further Barak orders after the 1999 Kargil conflict.
But in recent times, Navy was even forced to curtail practice firings of the Barak systems due to the shortage of missiles. The defence ministry had kept the fresh Barak order on hold for five years now due to the pending CBI case, with the three-volume thick file doing the rounds as well as opinions being sought from the law ministry and the attorney general.
NEW DELHI: With the CBI moving for closure of the infamous Barak kickbacks case, the defence ministry on Monday cleared the long-pending naval case for procurement of an additional 262 Barak-I missiles for Rs 880 crore.
The defence acquisitions council led by A K Antony also cleared the projects for acquisition of 41 Dhruv advanced light helicopters, two deep submergence submarine rescue vessels and 16 anti-submarine missile boats, all together totalling over Rs 16,000 crore.
The clearance for the Barak case — which will have to get the final nod from the Cabinet committee on security — will come as a big relief for the Navy because it has been grappling with a critical shortage of missiles to arm the Israeli Barak-I anti-missile defence (AMD) systems fitted on 14 frontline warships.
The Navy has for long been sounding the alarm over its fast depleting stock of missiles for the Barak-I AMD systems which intercept hostile incoming sea-skimming missiles at a 9-km range that act as a defensive shield for aircraft carrier INS Viraat, the latest Shivalik stealth frigates and guided-missile destroyers.
India had ordered the first Barak system for INS Viraat in the late-1990s to counter Pakistan's acquisition of sea-skimming Exocet and Harpoon missiles. DRDOs abject failure to develop the indigenous Trishul AMD system paved the way for further Barak orders after the 1999 Kargil conflict.
But in recent times, Navy was even forced to curtail practice firings of the Barak systems due to the shortage of missiles. The defence ministry had kept the fresh Barak order on hold for five years now due to the pending CBI case, with the three-volume thick file doing the rounds as well as opinions being sought from the law ministry and the attorney general.
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