India Clears $2.5 Billion Deal With Israel For MR-SAM Air Defense Missile System

Indian government has cleared a US$2.5 billion deal for the country's army to buy Medium Range Surface to Air Defence Missile (MR-SAM) system from Israeli Aircraft Industries.

India will acquire the Medium Range Surface to Air Defence Missile (MR-SAM) system from Israel at a cost of Rs 17,000 crore (US$2.5 billion), India Today reported today.

The army’s plan also includes inducting more than five regiments of MR-SAM Systems, which will have about 40 firing units and over 200 missiles.

"In a meeting of the cabinet committee on security headed by the Prime Minister, the proposal for procuring the MR-SAM air defence system for the Army was approved," India Today quoted an official as saying.

The MR-SAM system, jointly developed by DRDO and Israeli Aircraft Industries, reportedly can shoot down enemy aircraft between 50 to 70 km range.

The delivery of the first system for the Army units will begin in 72 months of the signing of the contract and they would be ready for deployment in field areas by the year 2023.

India and Israel are jointly developing similar systems for the Air Force and the Navy.