By Anantha Krishnan M
Express News Service
Guruvayoor (Kerala): Military technology major Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) is likely to ink a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Dassault, which recently won the contract for the delivery of 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) Rafale fighter jets for India. Sources tell Express that the proposed MoU, likely to be signed during Aero India 2013, will be different from BEL’s already-existing JV with Thales. The MoU will get propelled when India’s Ministry of Defence signs the Rafale deal officially with Dassault. The MoU will enable BEL get onboard Rafale for the integration of the synthetic aperture radars (SAR) and electronic warfare (EW) suits, among others.
During the show, BEL is also likely to sign a MoU with Elbit Systems Electro–Optics Elop Ltd, Israel, for the joint development of compact multi-purpose advance stabilization system (CoMPASS), for naval applications. Sources said that the Indian Navy has opted CoMPASS in tune with the modernization of its costal surveillance plans. BEL might get into a transfer of technology (ToT) pact with Elbit, to develop some critical airborne applications.
When contacted, BEL chairman and managing director Anil Kumar, however, didn’t want to get into the details of the MoUs. “At the show, we are focusing mainly on our strengths in Network Centric Warfare (NCW) activities. With several major defence purchases in the final phase of decision making, we expect global original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and their vendors to be on the look-out for Indian offset partners,” Anil Kumar said.
He said the show-stopper for BEL will be the homegrown SCA (Software Communication Architecture)-compliant Software Defined Radio (SDR), in various forms and to be used on different platforms by the Indian defence forces. “We will display cutting edge technologies developed indigenously for NCW systems like: computing elements in various form factors, right from wrist-wearable computers, hand-held computers and tablet PC to rugged laptop,” he said.
The BEL chief said that his company will be showcasing more mature homegrown defence technologies and solutions at the show. “We intend to showcase our strengths and present our preparedness to address the offset business to the prospective foreign original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) during the show,” he said. At the show, technology pundits can get an upclose with BEL’s microwave power modules for radars, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based products for Sonars and microwave components for air-borne EW systems. BEL is also exhibiting portable low-level air defense radar and weapon locating radar.
Copyright@The New Indian Express
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