The Indian Air Force (IAF) is to offer contracts worth at least Rs100bn ($2.1bn) to Bharat Electronics (BEL) to produce several squadrons of the Akash missile system.
The IAF will place an additional order for six squadrons of the Akash missile system within a month, which is estimated to be worth Rs35bn ($769m), Business Standard reports.
BEL has already received orders worth Rs12.21bn ($268m) from IAF to produce two squadrons of the surface-to-air area defence-guided missile system, with each squadron consisting of 48 missiles, a surveillance radar (3D central acquisition radar), a tracking (flight level) radar and a flight control centre.
The surveillance radar used in the Akash missile system provides air defence against multifarious threats to mobile, semi-mobile and static vulnerable forces.
The surveillance and tracking radar can simultaneously detect 100 and 64 targets, respectively.
