Taurus stand-off missile system offered to India

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Taurus stand-off missile system offered to India

Taurus stand-off missile system offered to India

October 19, 2011 at 08:10

European consortium MBDA has provided their 300km-range Taurus stand-off missile system to the Indian Air Force (IAF).

“We have got a request for information (RFI) from IAF for a stand-off long range missile and we have provided the Taurus missiles as we think that it meets all the expected requirements”, Anders Axebark, the business development manager for the missile systems addressed a group of Indian journalists.

The Taurus air-to-ground missiles are designed by Germany-based Taurus systems GmbH, which is a joint business between MBDA and the Swedish Defense Major Saab. MBDA is a missile producing company situated in Italy, Britain, France and Germany.

Indian Air Force has decided to upgrade its Su-30MKI in collaboration with Russia to equip the aircrafts with the better radar, long range weapons, and avionics to further increase its capability.

Axebark said that the missile’s capability was briefed to the Indian counterparts at the Air Headquarters in New Delhi.

“The German Air Force is also planning to carry out a test-firing of the missile for the IAF in November at one of the field-firing ranges in South Africa,” he said.

Axebark noted that his organization has talked to the DRDO about the system and further possible projects in the department of anti-ship missiles, surface to surface missiles and even transport aircraft launched missiles. Regarding the transport aircrafts, India has recently ordered the American C-130J aircraft and the C-17 Globemaster.

The Taurus GmbH is also pitching in the land based version of the missile system saying that the missile system could be used against bunkers and concrete shelters from a stand-off range of 300km and it is independent of using the GPS system to track its target.

The MBDA has as well provided its MICA and Meteor missiles to the IAF and pointed that they could be operational in different aircraft of the Indian Air Force.

A discussion regarding the topic is being held in the Indian Defence Forum here.