BDL join hands with Thales to build STARStreak air defence system

NewsBharati    15-Jan-2021
Total Views |
New Delhi, January 15: In order to boost the defence system under the Make India initiative, the State-owned Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) has signed a teaming agreement with UK-based Thales to work in partnership on the STARStreak air defence system.
 
The Teaming Agreement was signed at a virtual ceremony held on Wednesday, in the presence of Commodore Siddharth Mishra (Retd), Chairman and Managing Director, BDL.
 
 
missile _1  H x
 
The agreement also allows BDL to offer the air defence system to the Indian Armed Forces with a minimum of 60 percent indigenous content along with domestic designing and development. This would qualify it under the Make in India programme.
 
With that agreement, BDL has become a part of STARStreak's global supply chain. In addition to this, BDL also gets the opportunity to export the air defence system to existing and future customers which include the UK's Armed Forces.
 
Sharing details of the development, BDL's chairman Mishra said, "The partnership between Thales and BDL with Transfer of Technology for STARStreak, will create a new business opportunity for BDL and its supply chain partners in India. BDL will be able to enhance its footprint in the export and domestic markets with this new business opportunity."
 
Moreover, Alex Cresswell, CEO of Thales said, “Today’s signing is a significant milestone for all parties concerned and I look forward to Thales and BDL developing a close working relationship. This is good news for our business in Belfast in Northern Ireland, for the strong supply chain of UK SMEs with whom we work and for our teams in India. The UK and India have a strong tradition of industrial partnership in defence, innovation, and sharing technology and we are thankful to both the Governments for their strong support to this excellent initiative.”
 
Jeremy Quin, Minister for Defence Procurement, Government of UK, and Mark Goldsack, Head of UK Defence & Security Exports, UK graced the occasion.
 
STARStreak is a short-range man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS) manufactured by Thales Air Defence. It is the fastest missile in its category, STARStreak, has three laser-guided darts, which cannot be jammed by any known countermeasure. It has the capability to defeat any air target – even armoured helicopters – as the last line of defence.