Vivek Raghuvanshi
NEW DELHI — A fierce battle has erupted between two state enterprises over ownership of medium- and long-range surface-to-air missile systems that India is developing jointly with Israel.
State enterprises Bharat Dynamics Ltd. (BDL) and Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL) each want to be the sole lead integrator, but the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) is finding it difficult to pacify the competition, according to a senior defense production official with the ministry, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
State-owed Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) is undertaking the joint development of two missiles — the long-range surface-to-air missile (LRSAM) and the medium-range surface-to-air missile (MRSAM) projects with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Rafael.
For the two missiles programs, IAI and Rafael are the sole design authority and DRDO is only a buyer, according to a senior executive of one of the primary suppliers for the two projects.
"Israel has not given any technology transfer of these two missiles, and the intellectual property rights of the missiles are with IAI and Rafael," he said.
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