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When Gen. Bikram Singh took over as Army chief last year,he made it clear that military procurement was his top priority. True to his word, theArmy Headquarters okayed a number of weapon purchasesthat included night-vision devices for T-72 tanks, 52-calibre gun systems and air surveillance radars. The biggest one in the pipeline was the Rs.15,000 crore anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM) deal.
The Army was keen to buy the Spike anti-tank missile, a lethal tank-killer manufactured by Israel's Rafael company, to replace the older Milan and Konkurs missiles. But, in the Defence Acquisition Council meeting held on April 2, Defence Minister A.K. Antony announced the freezing of the Spike missiles contract and ordered a technology scan0309a procedure meant to ascertain whether it was possible to get a similar system from anywhere else.
The deal is now under scanner for more than one reason. Months before the documents related to the Spike missile reached Antony,someone from the defence ministry had, allegedly, leaked a bundle of classified documents related to the anti-tank missile programme to global arms dealers. The leaked documents contained precise details of the trial report, the exact quantity of launchers and missiles and an update on the procurement process. A stunned defence ministry is now trying to verify whether procurement procedures were manipulated to favour Rafael. Edmonds Allen, New York-based businessmen and whistle-blower, told the THE WEEK that top secret documents related to the procurement of the ATGMs were leaked. "I do not know who provided those documents to [Abhishek] Verma [currently in jail for selling classified Indian military documents]. He shared the documents with foreign defence firms," said Allen. "I have shared the details with the CBI."
During the desert trials in 2008, the Spike allegedly failed as seven out of 10 missiles had missed their targets, according to an Army officer who was familiar with the trials. "The trial team also raised questions about the missile's infrared seeker," said the officer. Yet, the Spike was selected on a single-vendor basis, without any competition. Now, a technology scan is under way to find out whether similar missiles are available.
More than the technology scan, it is the allegations of corruption surrounding the deal that may force the defence ministry to notify a fresh tender. If the suspicion of corruption is confirmed, at the very least, the deal would be terminated, according to a senior official. That would be disastrous for Rafael as it would jeopardise hundreds of well-paid jobs, especially at its facility in Haifa. Moreover, the companycould be blacklisted for several years in India, if it is proven that it hired middlemen or paid commissions. Israel Military Industries, another leading Israeli firm, was blacklisted for 10 years after its name figured in a corruption scandal last year. Antony hasbeen exceptionally strict on defence deals.
When asked whether Rafael was associated with Verma orwhether the company had hired him for consultancy services in India, company spokesperson Amit Zimmer told THE WEEK that Rafael didnot provide such information. He, however, said the Spike was a well-known state-of-the-art system with 20 customers worldwide and orders exceeding 23,000 missiles.
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03¡ãThe military is directed to prepare themselves for a two-front war with Pakistan and China,03¡À said Lt-Gen. (retd) Prakash Katoch, a special forces veteran. 03¡ãYet, they are short of something as basic as anti-tank missiles.03¡À He said China already had third-generation missiles like the Green Arrow and the Red Arrow, while Pakistan was in possession of second-generation missiles like the Baktar-Shikan. The Pakistani army has approximately 2,400 tanks and India has 3,250, while China with 7,450 has more tanks than any other country in the world.
It was during the Kargil War that Indian commanders realised the operational utilityof the advanced anti-tank missiles as the Pakistani army had dug itself in high-altitude bunkers.
Full story-
The Week | Deal or no deal
The Army was keen to buy the Spike anti-tank missile, a lethal tank-killer manufactured by Israel's Rafael company, to replace the older Milan and Konkurs missiles. But, in the Defence Acquisition Council meeting held on April 2, Defence Minister A.K. Antony announced the freezing of the Spike missiles contract and ordered a technology scan0309a procedure meant to ascertain whether it was possible to get a similar system from anywhere else.
The deal is now under scanner for more than one reason. Months before the documents related to the Spike missile reached Antony,someone from the defence ministry had, allegedly, leaked a bundle of classified documents related to the anti-tank missile programme to global arms dealers. The leaked documents contained precise details of the trial report, the exact quantity of launchers and missiles and an update on the procurement process. A stunned defence ministry is now trying to verify whether procurement procedures were manipulated to favour Rafael. Edmonds Allen, New York-based businessmen and whistle-blower, told the THE WEEK that top secret documents related to the procurement of the ATGMs were leaked. "I do not know who provided those documents to [Abhishek] Verma [currently in jail for selling classified Indian military documents]. He shared the documents with foreign defence firms," said Allen. "I have shared the details with the CBI."
During the desert trials in 2008, the Spike allegedly failed as seven out of 10 missiles had missed their targets, according to an Army officer who was familiar with the trials. "The trial team also raised questions about the missile's infrared seeker," said the officer. Yet, the Spike was selected on a single-vendor basis, without any competition. Now, a technology scan is under way to find out whether similar missiles are available.
More than the technology scan, it is the allegations of corruption surrounding the deal that may force the defence ministry to notify a fresh tender. If the suspicion of corruption is confirmed, at the very least, the deal would be terminated, according to a senior official. That would be disastrous for Rafael as it would jeopardise hundreds of well-paid jobs, especially at its facility in Haifa. Moreover, the companycould be blacklisted for several years in India, if it is proven that it hired middlemen or paid commissions. Israel Military Industries, another leading Israeli firm, was blacklisted for 10 years after its name figured in a corruption scandal last year. Antony hasbeen exceptionally strict on defence deals.
When asked whether Rafael was associated with Verma orwhether the company had hired him for consultancy services in India, company spokesperson Amit Zimmer told THE WEEK that Rafael didnot provide such information. He, however, said the Spike was a well-known state-of-the-art system with 20 customers worldwide and orders exceeding 23,000 missiles.
~~
03¡ãThe military is directed to prepare themselves for a two-front war with Pakistan and China,03¡À said Lt-Gen. (retd) Prakash Katoch, a special forces veteran. 03¡ãYet, they are short of something as basic as anti-tank missiles.03¡À He said China already had third-generation missiles like the Green Arrow and the Red Arrow, while Pakistan was in possession of second-generation missiles like the Baktar-Shikan. The Pakistani army has approximately 2,400 tanks and India has 3,250, while China with 7,450 has more tanks than any other country in the world.
It was during the Kargil War that Indian commanders realised the operational utilityof the advanced anti-tank missiles as the Pakistani army had dug itself in high-altitude bunkers.
Full story-
The Week | Deal or no deal
yes there are missile but not what india is looking . you need man-portable missile not fixed . with 8km German PARS 3 LR fixed is good but then you have nag -tirshul in home why pay money ? indian army is looking for replace older Milan and Konkurs missiles. most of them have range 2 to 4 km russian Kornet has more range they said 5km but no effective .
