India inks deal with Russia for rocket systems

Feb 9, 2006, 12:33 GMT

New Delhi - India has signed a 500-million-dollar deal with Russia for Smerch long-range surface-to-surface multiple rocket systems, a news report said Thursday.

The Smerch-M 300 mm BM 9A52-2 rocket systems will be inducted in two Army artillery regiments. The deal was inked on December 31, 2005 after nearly five years of negotiations, the IANS news agency reported, quoting Defence Ministry sources.

The Smerch contract includes 28 wheeled-chassis, 12-tube launchers with logistics supply and fire-control vehicles.

The multi-barrel rocket system is capable of firing six types of rockets to a range of 70 kilometres. This is about 30 km further than the range of the 155 mm howitzers with the army.

The rocket systems will significantly enhance the Army's firepower, providing it with the capability to neutralise a variety of targets like massed concentration of armour and troop deployment well beyond the range of its artillery systems, the IANS said.

Deliveries of the rocket systems which begin this year are due to be completed by 2008.

New Delhi is also in the process of finalizing contracts to upgrade 67 of its MIG-29 multi-role fighter jets as well as procure 28 Tangushka M1 gun and missile systems for low-level air defence.

India is the second largest buyer after China of Russian military hardware, accounting for almost 40 per cent of Russian defence exports.

Current contracts for Russian armaments amount to 10 billion US dollars, the Indian Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said.

Cooperation has also progressed beyond a buyer-seller relationship through joint development projects such as the BrahMos anti-ship missile.

The two countries have also embarked on holding military exercises. Anti-terrorist exercises were held on Indian territory last year and joint exercises have been scheduled till 2007.