Pakistan, China will tremble as India gets approval for its deadly new weapon, can neutralize threats in blink of an eye, name is..., range is...
Now, there is another new member to the family of air defense systems, set to join the Indian Army. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh as the chair, has given the go-ahead to the project. The estimated total cost of the project is around the value of Rs 33,000 crore. The Army now has the Quick Response Surface-to-Air Missile (QRSAM) system, ready for deployment.
The DAC is the highest decision-making body regarding procurement for the Indian Army, Air Force and Navy. Including the Defence Minister, the council also has the Chiefs of all three services, the Defence Secretary, the Secretary of Defence Production, the Secretary of Defence Research and Development, the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff, the Director General Acquisition, and the Chief of Integrated Staff Committees, who are also members of the council.
A unique aspect of the QRSAM system is its tracked mobile platform concept. The system is predominantly used in offensive ground combat, mostly when tanks are advancing into enemy space. These mechanized air defense units will move along with Indian tanks as they transition through hostile areas, ready to locate and destroy aerial threats. The QRSAM system was developed by the DRDO, its missiles and radar components manufactured domestically by BEL, and the vehicle platform manufactured by BDL. The Indian Army is pursuing the acquisition of three regiments of the system.
According to the official website of DRDO, Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile System (QRSAM) is a Short Range Surface to Air Missile system designed to protect moving armoured columns from aerial attacks. The entire weapon system is configured on highly mobile platforms and is capable of providing air defence on the move. QRSAM Weapon Systems is being inducted into the Indian Army (IA).
The QRSAM can intercept many aerial threats, including enemy fighter jets, attack helicopters, precision guided munitions, and other aerial platforms up to 30 kilometers away. Each launcher is mounted on an 8×8 high mobility truck and has six missile tubes; it can engage as many as six separate threats simultaneously. The system possesses robust electronic countermeasures (ECM) that protect against a jamming attempt. Importantly, the QRSAM has completed all events related to developmental and operational testing successfully.
The Indian Army's air defense systems currently are vehicle-based and are Russian made, and obtained decades ago. These systems include Shilka, Tunguska, Strela-10M, Osa-AK, and Pechora. The mostly indigenous QRSAM will allow for many of these systems to be replaced. Pechora could be deployed in mobile and stationary modalities, but most of the existing systems are no longer operational due to age. The Army is introducing the Akash missile system to replace more antiquated systems as part of their modernization. Although the Akash system is effective, it is stationary, unlike the other mobile systems it replaces.
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