INDIA

RfPs for 66 air defence radars

The Indian Defence Ministry has sent Requests for Proposals (RfPs) to seven companies for the supply of 66 mobile, short range air defence radar systems to the Indian Army, for a budget of some US$300 million. The new air defence radars are required to replace the Army’s Flycatcher and upgraded Super Fledermous systems over the next 2-3 years.

Each system must include a 3D search radar, a 10km-range target tracking radar, a passive Electro-Optical (EO) tracker, a power supply and an operators’ vehicle, and must be capable of controlling two Anti-Aircraft (AA) guns. The selected system must be able to operate in ground clutter, rain, chaff and passive or active jamming conditions.

The RfPs were sent to: India’s Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL); Poland’s Bumar; the Elta Systems division of Israel Aerospace Industries; the USA’s Raytheon; Germany’s Rheinmetall Defence; Russia’s Rosoboronexport; and France’s Thales. The foreign bidders must be prepared to transfer the technology to BEL, which will produce the radars under licence. They must quote prices for the technology alone, parts-only kits and partially assembled kits, as well as offsets proposals worth 30% of the deal. © DAPSS  S.A., 2008, Switzerland