Washington: The US has agreed to sell two state-of-the-art missile defence systems to Air India One for an estimated cost of USD 190 million, a move that will enhance the security of planes flying the Prime Minister and the President.
According to the Pentagon, the sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the US by helping to strengthen the US-Indian strategic relationship.
The Trump administration has approved purchase of the two systems known as Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCAM) and Self-Protection Suites (SPS), the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a notification Wednesday to the Congress.
The US decision came after the Indian government recently made request for LAIRCAM SPS, given the high-level threat to the Prime Minister and the President.
The Indian government has plans to buy two Bowing 777 aircraft to install the new systems.
The purpose of the LAIRCM programme is to protect large aircraft from man-portable missiles. Once installed, the LAIRCAM system increases crew-warning time, decreases false alarm rates and automatically counters advanced intermediate range missile systems, according to the Federation of American Scientists.
The missile warning subsystem will use multiple sensors to provide full spatial coverage. The pilot will simply be informed that a threat missile was detected and jammed.
It should be stated here that the US is the second-largest arms supplier to India. It has already recognised India as a ‘major defence partner’, a status that which commits the US to facilitate technology sharing with India.
PTI