NEW DELHI – Indian defence ministry will decide on an army proposal worthover Rs 2,000 crore to buy around 5,000 Spike anti-tank guided missilesfrom Tel Aviv, which will meet the urgent requirement of these missiles forthe force, India today has reported.
The missiles are to be deployed against Pakistan at the Western borders.
“To meet the immediate requirements of the infantry battalions of the army,a high-level meeting of the defence ministry chaired by defence ministerNirmala Sitharaman is expected to discuss the army proposal on buying Spikemissiles for the force,” a senior government source told MAIL TODAY.
As per the proposal listed for the meeting, the government will alsoconsider buying 500 launchers and around 20 simulators for the weaponsystems which will be used by the infantry battalions for taking down enemytanks, the sources said. The same meeting is also scheduled to discussanother army proposal to equip its armoured forces with 300 Made in IndiaNag anti-tank guided missiles in a proposal worth around Rs 300 crore.
These will also include around 30 NAMICA carriers based on the chassis of aBMP infantry combat vehicle. The government sources said the Spikes wouldbe meeting the immediate requirement of the army, while the remaininglargescale requirements would be met by the manportable ATGMs, to beproduced by DRDO in future as was first reported by MAIL TODAY.
The Army needs third generation ATGMs, with a strike range of over 2.5 kmand fire-and-forget capabilities, to equip all its 382 infantry battalionsand 44 mechanised infantry units, which will carry them on their RussianBMP combat vehicles. Sources said that this combination of buying fromabroad and allowing ‘Make in India’ at the same time will balance the needfor taking care of national security requirements along with the need topromote the indigenous industry.
In the earlier competition for ATGMs, India had also tried one Americanfire-and-forget ATGM, but that offer was rejected due to unacceptableterms. Spike missile is a third generation, fire-and-forget, top attackATGM with a range of 2.5 km, which can operate both during day and nightagainst an incoming enemy tank regiment.
The army is currently using second generation Konkurs and Milan 2T ATGMs,which do not have night-fighting capabilities. According to reports, thearmy currently has a shortage of around 68,000 missiles, with no missilesheld as War Wastage Reserves against a government stipulation to build upstocks to last for at least 10 days of intense fighting.
The Spike missiles are being procured by the army after an earlier tenderfor these weapons was withdrawn. After the NDA government came in power,extensive push is being given to ‘Make in India’ in defence sector formeeting requirements. The high-level defence ministry meeting is alsolikely to discuss a DRDO proposal to develop two indigenous Airborne EarlyWarning and Control Systems (AWACS), under which the major investment willbe made by the research agency. The navy is also likely to move a proposalworth around Rs 3,000 crore for buying 127 mm naval warship guns for thesurface vessels of the force.