India to get Igla-S Anti-Aircraft missiles from Russia; Here’s all should know about them
Russia signed a contract to supply Igla-S hand-held anti-aircraft missiles to India which allowed it to produce the missile under license
In a way to boost the defence capabilities, India is now set to procure an anti-aircraft missile system from Russia, called the Igla-S. the Igla-S is a man-made portable air defence system (MANPADS) which will be brought in from Russia, India’s biggest weapons supplier.
Russia signed a contract to supply Igla-S hand-held anti-aircraft missiles to India which allowed it to produce the missile under license. “We have already signed the corresponding document and now, together with an Indian private company, we are organising the production of Igla-S MANPADS in India,” Alexander Mikheyev, head of the state arms exporter Rosoboronexport said.
The salient features of the Igla-S Anti-Aircraft Missiles are as follows:
1) The Igla-S is a man-made portable air defence system, which means it can carried around and can used by an individual or a crew to shoot down an enemy aircraft.
2) It can identify and shoot down cruise missiles and drones as well.
3) Several Igla-S missiles were inducted in the Indian Army in the past as well, however, this time it is going to be a larger contract.
4) Igla-S comprises the 9M342 missile, the 9P522 launching mechanism, the 9V866-2 mobile test station and the 9F719-2 test set.
The Igla-S anti-aircraft missiles first came in service in Russia in 2004 and are said to boost India’s air defence along the border with Pakistan and China. It is not currently known if any Indian companies would be involved or when would the production of the missile start. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Russia accounted for 45% of India’s arms imports between 2018 and 2022. Meanwhile, France accounted for 29% of India’s arms imports and the United States 11%.
Another Russian state news agency, RIA, quoted Mikheyev earlier as saying that “Rosoboronexport is working with Indian private and public enterprises to organise joint production of aviation weapons and integrate them into the existing aviation fleet in India”.
