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MBDA awaits Indian nod for trials of anti-tank missile

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Naples, Italy: European missile making consortium MBDA has said the field evaluation trials of its Pars 3 LR fire-and-forget anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) is slated to get underway soon. The ATGM has been shortlisted alongside Rafael Advanced Defence System's Spike-ER for the Indian Army's weaponised Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) 'Rudra.'

''We are waiting for the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) to give us the schedule for trials. Hopefully, the dates will be finalised soon,'' MBDA's Peter Meuthen told a group of Indian journalists at the company's facility at Fusaro, north of Naples, Italy.

MBDA is a four-nation European missile making consortium which is eyeing a strategic partnership with India in defence development and production.

Besides jointly developing a short-range surface-to-air missile (SR-SAM) with India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), it has also offered nearly a dozen tactical weapon systems for deployment with the Indian armed forces.

The Pars 3 LR, Meuthen said, is a high precision weapon system with a broad target spectrum. ''It is highly effective against mobile and stationary targets equipped with latest armour protection, field fortresses and bunkers, besides other high-value targets,'' he said.

Pars 3 LR boasts a maximum operational range of seven kilometres and is said to possess high resistance to jamming.

In a salvo mode, it can fire up to four missiles in 10 seconds.

The missile, in service with the German Army on its UH-Tiger helicopters, was tested at Vidsel in Sweden in April this year. ''The successful firings matched all Indian operational requirements, but an Indian delegation could not witness it due to administrative reasons,'' Meuthen said.

A Bangalore-based Indian company has been co-opted by MBDA to design and develop a twin launcher, a derivative of the quad launcher fitted on the German Tiger helicopter, for the launch of the missile from ALH Rudra.

''The twin-launcher has been developed by the Indian company and its production will be done there.''

Simultaneously, MBDA has come out with an eight-missile configuration for the under-development indigenous Light Combat Helicopter (LCH).

Pars 3 LR is also in contention to weaponise the 22 attack helicopters being acquired by the Indian Air Force to replace its ageing fleet of Mi-25. MBDA has proposed Pars 3 LR for the Russian MIL Mi-28 helicopter which competes in the IAF evaluation along with the 'Hellfire' anti-armour missile-equipped Apache AH-64 D manufactured by Boeing.

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MBDA offers co-dev on 5th Gen anti-tank missile

The four-km range MMP, which stands for Missile Moyenne Portée, or Medium Range Missile, is a new development for the French Army and has only been test-fired for the first time, earlier this month.


The MBDA Missile Moyenne Portée at Aero India 2015 | Photo: StratPost

French arms company MBDA has offered it’s new MMP fifth generation Anti Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) as a base platform for co-development to India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO).

MBDA already supplies the Milan wire-guided ATGM system to the Indian Army.

MMP, which stands for Missile Moyenne Portée, or Medium Range Missile, is a new development for the French Army and has only been test-fired for the first time, earlier this month.

The offer to co-develop MMP, which was displayed at Aero India 2105, appears to be in competition to a proposal on the US-India Defense Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) table to co-develop an advanced version of the Javelin ATGM, manufactured by Raytheon and Lockheed Martin.

India also placed on order for the Israeli Rafael Spike ATGM system last October.

In comparison to the Milan 2T operated by the Indian Army, of which 4,100 were ordered in 2009, the MMP anti-tank missile system has a longer range of four kilometers and differs significantly in that it is not a wire-guided system.

According to MBDA officials who spoke to StratPost, the MMP has an uncooled infra red seeker and three operating modes: fire-and-forget, man -in-the-loop with fibre optic data link and lock-on-after-launch, wherein a third party can designate the target.

MBDA’s other proposal for co-development to DRDO, for the Maitri Short Range Surface to Air Missile (SRSAM) system has been in a coma for several years now, especially with the development and orders for the indigenous Akash SRSAM system.

At the same time, India also has an ongoing tender being contested for SRSAM systems, for which trials are currently underway and the next stage of which will be held in Israel.
 
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