Operation Sindoor: The Indian Army will get a state-of-the-art missile system from the Defence Ministry. The Defence Ministry will consider proposals for in-principle approval (AoN) for the purchase of indigenously developed Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile (QR-SAM) systems worth Rs 30,000 crore for the Army’s regiments. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will consider the proposal for approval for the QR-SAM systems this month, official sources said. These advanced systems are capable of detecting and controlling enemy fighter jets, helicopters and drones from a distance of 25 to 30 km.
It is known that during Operation Sindoor, launched by the Indian Army on May 7 in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack, the Turkish-made drones and Chinese missiles used by Pakistan were successfully intercepted and repelled. The Indian air defense system played a key role in this operation. In this context, it has been decided to equip the Army with an advanced missile system to make it more powerful.
In the last three to four years, DRDO and the Army have jointly tested these QR-SAM systems from various types of aircraft. Bharat Electronics Limited and Bharat Dynamics Limited will jointly manufacture these systems. A senior defence official said, “QR-SAM systems can detect targets while they are moving. They can fire within a short period of time. They are designed to move with tanks and infantry combat vehicles.”
The Army Air Defence (AAD), which played a key role in ‘Operation Sindoor ‘, has said that QR-SAM will be required for all 11 regiments. At the same time, indigenous Akash systems with a range of 25 km will also be gradually introduced in the regiments. QR-SAM will also be added to the existing defense systems of the Air Force and the Army. These include Russian-made S-400 Triumph systems (range of 380 km), Barak-8 missiles developed with Israel (70 km), Igla-S missiles from Russia (6 km), upgraded L-70 anti-aircraft guns (3.5 km) and indigenous drone detection and interdiction systems (1-2 km).
Similarly, the DRDO is also developing a ‘Very Short Range Air Defence System’ (VSHORADS) with a range of 6 km. However, the real game changer is the long-range air defence system being developed through Project Kusha with a range of 350 km. India plans to make this system available by 2028-29. Already in September 2023, the Defence Ministry has given AoN approval worth Rs. 21,700 crore for the purchase of five squadrons for the Air Force.
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