Largest Order in Israeli Defence Industry History at $1.6 Billion
On 6 April, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) announced orders from India totalling almost U$2 billion. The order for the IAI MRSAM air defence missile system, at $1.6 billion, is believed to be the largest single order in the history of the Israeli defence industry.
MRSAM is an advanced air and missile defence system providing integrated protection against a wide variety of airborne threats. An existing version is already in service with the Indian Air Force and Navy as well as the Israeli Defence Force. The new MRSAM order is intended for the Indian Army and will include an advanced phased array radar, mobile launchers and C2 facilities and missiles with advanced RF seekers. MRSAM was developed jointly for the Indian Army by IAI and the Defence Research & Development Organisation in India, with close collaboration from Rafael and IAI’s ELTA Systems. Other Indian companies including BEL, L&T, BDL, and several others made important contributions to the development programme.
At the same time IAI has received an order to supply additional LRSAM air and missile defence systems for the first aircraft carrier to be built in India.
Joseph Weiss, IAI’s President and CEO, said: “Over the past 25 years, IAI has worked with the Indian defence industries and armed forces in many areas as part of our strategic partnership,” Joseph Weiss, IAI President and CEO commented. “The current contracts represent an enormous expression of confidence by the Government of India in IAI’s capabilities and advanced technologies, which are being developed with our local partners as part of the Indian Government’s ‘Make in India’ policy. We continue to stand with our partners in India at the forefront of technology for the defence and security of both our countries.”
