MBDA: Excellence on the Indian Navy’s side
As the Indian Navy patrols the seas, it has excellence on its side, with high-performance missile systems from MBDA such as the Exocet on board its new Kalvari- class submarines. “MBDA is proud of its long history of supporting the Indian Navy and joins the service in celebrating Navy Day.”
Just as important as is its proud history with the Indian Navy, are MBDA’s industrial partnerships in India. MBDA has been working in close partnership with Indian industry for over 50 years, building missile technologies in India and assisting with the development of a sovereign Indian missile industry, both in the public and private sector.
MBDA has built over 50,000 missiles in India during this time, and is working through its Indian joint venture – L&T MBDA Missile Systems Ltd – to deliver new Make in India programmes and provide new enhancements for the Indian Navy’s fighting potency. L& T MBDA Missile Systems Ltd has already submitted its first bid to the Indian Armed Forces. The JV’s offer of Sea Ceptor, the next generation of naval air defence system, is its RFP response for the Indian Navy’s Short-Range Surface to Air Missile (SRSAM) requirement, and has been offered with the aim to ‘Make in India’.
Sea Ceptor utilises the CAMM missile that features a next generation all-weather RF- seeker, two- way datalink and softvertical launch system to provide a stepchange in performance compared with previous generation systems able to protect Indian vessels from attacks from fast seaskimming missiles simultaneously attacking from multiple directions. Sea Ceptor provides easy platform integration and significant space, weight and safety benefits compared with the older systems.
Sea Ceptor is a high-performance and modern air defence system available in the market today and has been by chosen by several navies including the UK, New Zealand, Canada, Chile and Brazil, amongst others.
L&T MBDA Missile Systems Ltd is also offering Exocet MM40 Block 3 for the Indian Navy’s Medium Range AntiShip Missile (MRAShM) requirement, the latest version of the venerable Exocet missile already in service with the Indian Armed Forces, having improved electronics and an extended range. The Exocet family of missiles comprises a range of standoff ‘fire and forget’ stealthy missiles, with skimming flight for engaging high-value naval targets. They have the flexibility of launching from all maritime platforms: surface ships, submarines, fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and coastal batteries.
MBDA also has a full spectrum of missile systems to meet requirements of naval helicopters. For long-range requirements, MBDA’s offers the well-known and combat proven Exocet AM 39 missile, Marte ER provides excellent extended medium range capability, while Sea Venom/ANL provides unrivalled fire-and-forget or operator above the loop ability to engage multiple targets at short to medium ranges in open waters or even challenging littoral environments.
For the Indian Navy’s Special Forces ATGM requirements, L&T MBDA Missile Systems Ltd is offering the world’s only true 5th Generation Anti- Tank Missile as an Indian Designed, Developed and Manufactured ( IDDM) product under the Make in India programme. ATGM5 offers many unique capabilities, being truly network enabled, a multipurpose warhead with selectable effects and high-performance seeker technologies. It is proven for use in the maritime environment from small Special Forces vessels.
“MBDA understands the importance of operational capability and sovereignty to the Indian Navy and is proud to deliver it. That is why MBDA is strongly committed to ‘Make in India’ with the level of investment made for both industrial sovereignty and the best of equipment to ensure India’s maritime superiority.”