At a ceremony held on Sunday, August 27 in Hyderabad, India, the first LRSAM Missile manufactured in India was delivered to India’s Minister of defence Mr. Arun Jaitley, who awarded it to the Indian Navy. The missile is part of the LRSAM air & missile defence system of India’s defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), to be installed in India’s operational missile ships whose construction has been completed recently.
Mr. Arun Jaitley, India’s Minister of defence, praised the collaborative effort involved in developing this advanced technology. He pointed out at the ceremony: This is an historical day for India, in which our navy becomes the proud owners of one of the most sophisticated systems in the world. This system will help the Indian Navy protect our country. India needs to be prepared for any scenario. Therefore we should equip our operational forces with the best of advanced technology. The delivery of the first missile coming out from indigenous production line is an example of the Indian economy and industry capabilities. We must continue developing the local infrastructure and manufacturing as part of our defence capabilities.
Boaz Levi, IAI’s Executive Vice President and General Manager of Systems, Missiles & Space Group who attended the ceremony, said, “the delivery of the first missile manufactured in India to India’s defence arms is a technological dream come true. It is another exciting step in the many-years collaboration between IAI, India’s government, India’s DRDO and other partners, and one that reflects a technological and engineering effort of the highest level.”
The local manufacturing in the LRSAM Project is part of India’s “Make in India” Policy. IAI and RAFAEL from Israel together with Baharat Dynamic (BDL) from India have established production lines, in India, for the LRSAM program. The local production line is provided with Israeli-made assembles which are integrated with Indian-made assemblies into an operational missile.
LRSAM is an advanced air and missile defence system a unique joint development by IAI and India’s defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) in collaboration with IAI subsidiary ELTA, RAFAEL and various Indian companies. The system comprises several key state-of-the-art elements, advanced phased-array radar (MFSTAR), command and control system, launchers and missiles with advanced RF seekers. The system provides ultimate protection against a variety of aerial, naval and air born threats and is operational with the Indian Air Force, Indian Navy and Israel defence Forces and in the near future with the Indian Army. Over the past few years, IAI has awarded several contracts for air and missile defence systems to India, including $2.5 billion-deals in recent months.
The delivery of the first LRSAM missile marks a significant milestone in the collaboration between India and Israel, highlighting the exceptional technological advancements achieved through joint efforts. IAI continues to be a global leader in developing cutting-edge defence systems, offering a diverse range of solutions, including precision-guided missiles, state-of-the-art radar technologies, and missile interceptor systems.
