From MR-SAM to Astra-2: Big Missile Decisions Expected at Dec 26 DAC Meet | EXCLUSIVE

Missiles, of different kinds, will be the order of the day when the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), headed by Rajnath Singh, the defence minister, meets on December 26. The DAC will decide on another round of Emergency Procurement(EP) for the armed forces. This way, weapons, though in smaller numbers, can reach the armed forces very quickly.-The Navy wants the MR-SAM, or the medium-range surface-to-air missile. This is a big order: over 700 are required. Developed jointly by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and an Israeli firm, Bharat Dynamics (BDL) makes them. The MR-SAM has a range of about 70 km and can be used to counter enemy planes, missiles, drones, and helicopters. They have been fitted onto the Navy's larger

warships for nearly a decade. The Army and the Air Force (IAF) have the MR-SAM.

-A significant weapon the DRDO is designing and developing is the Astra Mark-2, the Beyond Visual Range missiles for the IAF and the Navy. These will have a range of approximately 200 km, and the IAF plans to acquire over 600 of the Astras. With the Astra-2, the IAF can hit a Pakistan Air Force plane from well within India. in case a Sindoor-type operation is necessary. The Indian armed forces' Operation Sindoor (the counter-terror operation in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir) has further underlined the need for longer-range air-to-air missiles. The IAF has the Astra 1, and the DRDO is working on the Astra 3. -The Israeli-developed SPICE munition (though not a missile) is a precision-guided system that delivers bombs to their targets. The IAF used them during the Balakot air strike in 2019. They can strike hardened targets, and the IAF sees them as "proven." Again, after Operation Sindoor, there is a realisation that more of them are necessary, and over 300 may be ordered.

-New radars are also necessary, and the Army wants low-level, lightweight radars. The Army already has the 3D Aslesha and the 2D Bharani-- Bharat Electronics or BEL developed them. More than two dozen of these radars are necessary, and they can be part of the comprehensive control and reporting system, the Akasheer, which performed creditably during the four days of fighting during Operation Sindoor. Emergency ProcurementIndia's defence ministry allows Emergency Procurement, which ensures that a limited number of weapons can reach the forces very quickly. One round of EP ended on November 19, and several deals were incomplete. Once the DAC allows more time, as may happen on December 26, the ministry will have the opportunity to complete the negotiations. Also, the DAC may allocate more funds for EP, if necessary. When some weapons are to be bought as part of the EP, the budget for each system is about Rs 300 crore. It helps if missiles, ammunition, small arms, or anti-tank weaponry are to be acquired. The weapons also arrive quickly. Besides Singh, the minister of state (defence), the chief of defence staff, the three chiefs, the defence secretary, and the DRDO chief are part of the DAC.