Delhi to become third city to have its own missile defense system

Source: Defence Barta

To prevent 9/11 type attacks in the future on its Capital city New Delhi, India is coming close inch by inch in making Delhi impregnable against military terror attacks from aircraft, missiles and drones.  The meausres underway include getting a new misile shield to replace older air defence systems, reconfiguring the VIP no-fly Zone and refining the protocol to shoot down rogue planes.

     The defence aquisitions council, chaired by defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman, has approved the acceptance of necessity for the acquisition of the National Advanced Surface to AirMissile System-II or NASAMS-II worth around $1billion from the US.

      Simultaneously, as part of the overall Delhi Area Air Defence Plan, work is on to further raealign the "VIP-89 area" over New Delhi, which includes Rashtrapati Bhawan, Parliament, North and South Blocks, as well as shorten the decision making loop to shoot down planes that may have been hijacked or commandered for use as missiles against strategic targets".

     NASAMS, armed with the three-dimensional Sentinel radars, short and medium-range missies, launchers, fire-distribution centers and command and control units to quickly detect, track and shoot down multiple airvorne threats, is part of the air defence network guarding Washington.  It is also deployed in several NATO countries.  Besides the US national capital region, Israeli cities and Moscow also have their own missile defence systems.  

  

     India's move to acquire NASAMS comes even as DRDO is in the final stages of developing its two-tier ballistic missile defence BMD shield, which is designed to track and destroy nuclear missiles both inside and outside the earth

s atmosphere.

    Once the first phase of te BMD system is operational, it will be deployed to protect cities like Delhi and Mumbai from long range missiles with a 2,000 KM strike range.  The NASAMS, in turn,is geared towards intercepting cruise missiles, aircraft and drones," said a source.  

     The defence ministry, however, has kept the $2 billion procurement of 24 MH-60 Romeo helicopters with thier assoiciated weapons, spares and training packages, from the US pending till the inaugural two plus two dialogue between the two countries here on september 6.

      India wants to assess the US response on different issues, including its punitive sanctions regime under the countering America's Adversaries  Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) that seeks to deter countries from buying russian weapons or Iranian Oil, before granting AoN to the helicopter project as well.

     The AoN for the helicopters, which are used to detect, track and hunt enemy submarines, has been deferred till September.  Earlier also, it was not fielded in the DAC after US abruptly cancelled the 2+2 dialogue stated for July," said a source.  Indian sources later explained that this was due to US'S

     Though US is moving towards granting waiver to India from CAATSA but its not yet cast in stone .  India wants to ink the s-400 Triumf air defence missile systems from Russia later this year without the threatof financial sanctions form US.

    

      The FMS is considered faster and cleaner than the cumbersme glabal tender process, with the AoN followed by letters of request and acceptance being negotiated before inking of the final contract.  The US, of course, is eager to bag  more deals, having notched military sales worth 15billion to India since 2007.

     The Indian Navy, in turn, is desperate to acquire Multi-role helicopters, armed with radars and sonars as well as missiles, torpedoes and depth charges.