The Indian Army got its first 24 Igla-S Man Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS) from Russia, along with 100 missiles. This is part of a bigger deal that includes India making its own MANPADS.
Sources in the defense establishment said that the Army did buy a small amount of Igla-S in 2021 (24 launchers and 216 missiles) in case of an emergency, but this is a bigger order.
The Indian Army is buying the Igla-S system to improve its Very Short Range Air Defense (VSHORAD) powers. Defense establishment sources said that this purchase is a big one, unlike the smaller emergency buy that was made in 2021.
Strengths of Igla-S
One person or a team can operate the hand-held defense system called Igla-S. In addition to being able to locate and destroy aerial targets like drones and cruise missiles, it is made to bring down low-flying aircraft.
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The Igla-S system consists of the 9M342 missile, the 9P522 launching mechanism, the 9V866-2 mobile test station, and the 9F719-2 test set, according to a report in The Defense Post. Together, these elements form an all-encompassing air defense system.
There is only one launcher and one missile in the Igla-S system. In November of last year, India and Russia struck an agreement for 400 missiles and 120 launchers.
Although the first batch originated in Russia, an Indian company will use Transfer of Technology (ToT) to manufacture the remaining systems in India.
The new authorized air defense forces for the high mountainous terrain along the northern border are currently in the process of procuring Igla-S systems.
According to sources, these systems have been sent to one regiment, and as deliveries progress, a few more will receive them.
Under the former United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, the Request for Proposal (RFP) for VSHORADs was released in 2010, following which the selection process commenced.
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Later in 2018, the competitive bid from Russia’s Rosoboronexport-manufactured Igla-S, which was the lowest bidder (L1), defeated the infrared homing short-range air defense system Mistral, manufactured by MBDA in France, and the RBS 70 NG, built by SAAB in Sweden.
Because they believed the Russian system did not match technical standards, the other two finalists at the time wrote protest letters to the Indian Ministry of Defence, accusing them of rigging.
Air defense units in high mountainous areas deploy manpack-mounted air-to-air missile systems, or MANPADS, to neutralize low-altitude aerial threats such drones, aircraft, and missiles.
The Igla-1M systems, which are currently in use by the Indian Army, urgently require replacement.
A letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2012 from the then-Army staff chief general (retd.) V.K. Singh stated that approximately 97% of the air defense system was out of date. According to the letter, the current air defense systems are unable to “effectively protect against enemy air attacks.”
The Army’s present need for these systems would be satisfied by the Igla-S order.
After that, the Army will use cutting-edge infrared VSHORADS and laser beam riding to replace the outdated Igla systems. It is expected that the contract will be finalized shortly.
The Defense Research and Development Organization tested two of the country’s own VSHORADS missiles in flight in February of this year using a portable launcher that was situated on the ground.
