SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
MBDA, the European missile manufacturer, has put forward an offer to co-develop with India the next iteration of the Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM), also referred to as the Next-Generation Close Combat Missile (NGCCM) by the Indian Air Force (IAF). This proposal comes at a time when Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) and MBDA are in the process of establishing a facility in India for the Final Assembly, Integration, and Test (FAIT) of the current ASRAAM model.
Despite establishing the FAIT facility, the project has seen limited progress due to the IAF’s delay in placing additional orders for ASRAAM to equip other fighter aircraft beyond the initial order for 380 missiles designated for the Jaguar fleet. These missiles have since been qualified for use on the Tejas Mk1A, with plans to integrate them into the upcoming Tejas MkII.
The latest version of ASRAAM, the Block 6 standard, entered production in 2022, bringing several enhancements to the table. This includes an advanced infrared seeker designed in the UK and an integrated cryogenic cooling system, which improves the missile’s performance and longevity. A significant aspect of the Block 6 upgrade is the replacement of U.S.-made components with British ones, freeing the missile from U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) restrictions. This change not only simplifies export procedures but also opens up markets to countries that previously might have faced acquisition challenges due to ITAR.
While MBDA has been clear about co-developing an advanced version of ASRAAM with India, there’s ambiguity regarding whether this would lead to a new Block-7 standard or another derivative. The co-development could potentially focus on further enhancing the missile’s capabilities to meet specific IAF requirements or to align with the evolving technological landscape of air combat.
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