May 30 / 10.42AM: In a significant break from pitching ready, operational products in Indian weapon tenders, French missile firm MBDA has pitched the in-development Indo-French joint short-range surface to air missile (SR-SAM) or Maitri in at least one Indian competition — the Indian Army’s early 2010 tender for a QR-SAM [PDF]. In the December 2010 edition of the company’s in-house journal, MBDA says that it has “decided to respond to the QRSAM Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile (QRSAM) competition with the SRSAM, thus offering the Indians enhanced synergies.”
The Indian Army has also expressed its interest [PDF] in acquiring a short-range surface to air missile.
The SR-SAM Maitri is being developed for all three Indian armed services and export, and could see a first test-firing in 2012. On the status of the SR-SAM, the same Dec 2010 issue quotes MBDA’s export development director Michel Pétré as saying, “Today this project, which mobilises a vast set of competences, has reached a very advanced stage, and discussions are continuing with persistence, passion and patience.” (Which is actually a seriously polite way of saying, “Dude, we’ve been at it for four years, get the friggin agreement done already…“).
brave move by mbda. i hope they win.
To Shiv Aroor: the Indian Army's early 2010 tender for a QR-SAM
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Where's the tender? It is just an RFI, not an RFQ.
Shame India does not seem to be considering the option of buying into Pantsyr or Tor, far more capable (in terms performance and design philosophy) and mature systems than MBDA's SAM.
That said there are no development opportunities and im not sure what off set could be offered. Plus it would probably be a long wait as Tula does not seem to be able to build the Pantsyr fast enough to keep up with the high demand of its Super-SAM, Kupol probably has capacity though.
Bravo..India should go to Maitri missile.Its ours.