CCS nod for new surface-to-air missile

New Delhi, July 13: The Cabinet Committee on Security has cleared a Rs 10,000 crore project to develop new generation medium range surface-to-air missiles for the air force to beef up country's air defence capability.

The CCS, in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh late yesterday, gave green light to the venture in which the missiles would be jointly developed and produced by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation, Indian Air Force and Israel's Aerospace Industries, official sources said today.

DRDO would be the 'prime contractor' in the project, which would have an indegenous component of Rs 2,300 crore.

The missile would have capability of hitting aircraft and other aerial targets 70 km away, and replace the IAF's ageing Russian-made Pechora missiles.

The government was forced to approach a foreign partner in view of the delay in developing an indigenous a new-age version of the missile.

UNI

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