Purchase of 240 precision bombs, 131 Barak missiles approved

NEW DELHI: Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday cleared procurement proposals for precision-guided munitions for the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Barak missiles for the Indian Navy, worth over Rs 1,700 crore, said the ministry of defence (MoD).

The first proposal is related to the procurement of 240 bombs at a cost of Rs. 1254 crore from Russia’s Rosoboronexport, according to the MOD. These bombs fall under the category of Precision Guided Munitions and are used by the IAF. “This procurement will address the deficiency of precision guided munitions in the IAF’s arsenal, besides enhancing its offensive capabilities,” said a statement issued by the MOD.

IAF sources said the precision guided weapon is cal led KAB-1500, which is a laser guided bomb and for use on IAF’s Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jets. It is designed to destroy ground targets such as railway lines, ammunition depots, bridges, military facilities and ships. The bomb’s warhead weighs 1100 kilograms. The bomb has folding fins that allow it to maneuver while being guided to the target.


The second proposal pertains to the procurement of 131 Barak Missiles and associated equipment from Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defence Systems at a cost of Rs. 460 crore, the MOD said. This is for the Indian Navy. These missiles are surface to air missiles designed to be used as a shipborne anti-missile defence system against anti-ship missiles. Most of the navy’s ships will be equipped with the missile system.

In April last year, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by the then Defence Minister Arun Jaitley had cleared the procurement of Barak missiles. Several steps in the procurement process were thereafter cleared before today’s development.