Trishul missile programme not a failure: Antony

New Delhi, May 17 (UNI) Asserting the Trishul Missile Project (TMP) was not a failure, Defence Minister A K Antony today informed the Lok Sabha that efforts were on to make the Indian Air Force use the weapon.

Its main users --the Army, Air force and Navy -- resorted to acquisition from abroad as the Qualitative Requirments (QRs) and operational requirments got modified over time since the realisation of the missile system got delayed, he said, in a written reply.

''Dialogue is still on with Air Force to accept the system and get it developed and produced for deployment in certain locations and for training, fire control and air defence practice,'' the Minister said..

The Trishul missile is a low-level, quick reaction, short range, surface-to-air missile whereas Agni-III is a long range surface-to-surface missile to be used against fixed strategic targets.

The Defence Minister said technically Trishul has met the performance objectives as per original QRs, though delayed.

The main reason for the delay are technical problems in achieving perfect three-beam guidance and obtaining millimeter-wave components from abroad.

UNI