Bharat Dynamics In Missile Talks

Aerospatiale has initiated discussions with Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL), a public sector undertaking that specialises in defence production, for manufacturing MILAN missiles under a licence agreement.

Aerospatiale executive committee member Denis Verret said that his company was negotiating a technology transfer deal with BDL under which the Indian company will manufacture the missiles after an initial batch of these were imported from France.

Verret did not disclose how many of the latest missiles with anti-tank capabilities would be produced and at what price.

Defence sources, however, expected production to be in batches of 1000 missiles and said the deal would be worth Rs 250 crore on a "very conservative estimate". The Army needs around 5000 such missiles as all infantry units in border areas are equipped with MILANs.

 

The BDL has been assembling decade-old versions of the missile under a licence agreement that expired last year. If approved by the government, the new deal is likely to commence in the next financial year, the sources said.

Verret said his company had signed a memorandum of understanding with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to assemble 100 ATR-42 planes in India for Indian Airlines, the Border Security Force, the Indian Air Force and the Coast Guards. The Indian Airlines board had cleared the acquisition and Aerospatiale was very keen on offering the latest turboprops which have long range and are fuel efficient.

Verret said Aerospatiale's sister company, Eurocopter, had recently sold a Dauphin helicopter to the Karnartaka government and was holding discussions with other state governments to sell the new generation chopper. Aerospatiale holds 70 per cent stake in Eurocopter, the rest being held by Germany's Daimler Benz Aerospace.