NEW DELHI – The US State Department has approved sale of two Large AircraftInfrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) Self Protection Suites (SPS) for Boeingaircraft, worth US $190 million, to be used in India.
The US Department of Defense’s DSCA (Defense Security Cooperation Agency)has been asked by the State Department to issue the required certificatenotifying the US Congress about the sale. After US Senate’s approval, thedeal will enter into the negotiation stage and then the sale will beconcluded.
The prime contractor under the deal will be Boeing Company, Oklahoma City,US.
In a statement, the DSCA said, “The Government of India has requested tobuy two (2) Self-Protection Suites (SPS) consisting of AN/AAQ 24(V)N LargeAircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM), ALQ-211(V)8 Advanced IntegratedDefensive Electronic Warfare Suite (AIDEWS), and AN/ALE-47 Counter-MeasuresDispensing System (CMDS) to protect two (2) Boeing-777 Head-of-Stateaircraft.”
While approving the deal, Pentagon’s DSCA said that the “proposed sale willsupport the foreign policy and national security of the United States byhelping to strengthen the US-Indian strategic relationship” and to “improvethe security of a major defensive partner which continues to be animportant force for political stability, peace, and economic progress inthe Indo-Pacific and South Asia region.”
The agency added, “The proposed sale will improve India’s capability todeter regional threats with the SPS facilitating a more robust capabilityinto areas of increased missile threats.”
The US State department told WION, “The system will be installed onaircraft to protect them against missiles. The system detects incomingthreats then dispenses flares to distract a missile’s sensors.”
They further told, once the 30-Day congressional notification period isover, the sale can be completed when the customer chooses.
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The sale will include 12 Guardian Laser Transmitter Assemblies (6 installedand 6 spares), 8 LAIRCM System Processor Replacements (2 installed and 6spares, 23 Missile Warning Sensors (12 installed and 11 spares), 5Counter-Measures Dispensing System (2 installed and 3 spares).
The dept also assured that the sale will not “alter the basic militarybalance in the region”.
US is the second-largest arms supplier to India. Washington has alreadyrecognised India as a “Major Defense Partner”, a status that which commitsthe US to facilitate technology sharing with India.
Pentagon’s Missile defense review (MDR) 2019 had said the US has beendiscussing “potential missile defense cooperation” with India.
In 2018, US granted India Strategic Trade Authorisation-1 (STA-1). India isthe only south asian country to get STA1 and 3rd Asian country after Japanand South Korea. The status eases defence procurement from the US. Lastyear during the 2+2 dialogue, India and US signed the CommunicationsCompatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) which will help New Delhiget access to advanced US defense systems and enable it to utilize itsexisting US-origin platforms.
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