NEW DELHI – India is working on a mega defence project to make theairspace over almost all its major cities, including Delhi and Mumbai,virtually impregnable, sources in the military establishment said.
The government is procuring a variety of air defence systems, includingmissiles, launchers and command-and-control units from the US, Russia andIsrael, besides deploying indigenously developed missiles as part of theproject, they said.
Government was determined to equip the Indian Air Force with capabilitieson par with its adversaries. “Missile shield over the national capital andmany other cities are being strengthened considering the evolving securityscenario. Procurement of missile systems, radars and weaponry is part ofthe initiative,” a senior military official said, India media has reported.
India is engaged in talks with the US for procuring components of airdefence systems, including missiles, radars and drones, and attackhelicopters. The US has already approved the sale of 22 Sea Guardian dronesto India at an estimated cost of USD 2 billion.
It is for the first time, the US is selling the drones to a country whichis not a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).The sources said India is also looking at the US’ National Advanced Surfaceto Air Missile System-II to bolster its own missile shield.
India is also procuring the S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems fromRussia at a cost of nearly Rs 40,000 crore to boost its air defencemechanism. The deal is likely to be signed by the two countries later thisyear. “The aim of the project is to make our skyline impregnable,” theofficial said.
As part of efforts to strengthen the country’s aerial security, India is inthe process of inducting the first batch of its intercontinental ballisticmissile system — Agni V — which is expected to significantly bolster thecountry’s air defence system. The missile, with a strike range of 5,000 km,is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.