Saab and Wipro agree to pursue land-based Active Protection Systems

Posted by- Neelam Mathews

Sept 15, 2011

Leading IT Services company has signed a Teaming Agreement with Saab to manufacture, deliver and market Saab’s entire suite of the Land Electronic Defense Systems (LEDS) in India. 

This partnership is the continuation on earlier signed MoUs in 2008 and 2010 and a Consulting Agreement earlier in 2011 between Saab and Wipro addressing the Indian Survivability technology market and Saab’s usage of Wipro competences in the LEDS development.


Wipro and Saab say they will jointly pursue opportunities for LEDS in India with Indian defense establishments and OEMs. Wipro will be involved in the development, adaptation and integration of the LEDS equipment and software for Indian customers. The components will be developed, manufactured and systems integrated by Wipro to address the Indian market for land based APS systems. There is also the possibility of Saab leveraging the India advantage to market these systems manufactured by Wipro internationally as well.

The LEDS provide active protection to light and medium combat vehicles as well as to main battle tanks against engagement by weapons like the RPGs, anti-tank missiles, mortars and artillery shells. Saab will bring in its competence and technological knowhow and Wipro supports in aligning this to the Indian requirements.

“Our current goal with reference to this partnership is to serve the Indian market with state-of-the-art APS solutions. This partnership will include sourcing of components from India, transfer of technology to Wipro and the manufacture and integration of APS by Wipro in India, thereby putting the country on the global map as a  reliable, cost effective and high quality defence manufacturing hub” says Pratik Kumar, President, Wipro Infrastructure Engineering

The LEDS combines active signature management, softkill and hardkill mechanisms to provide full spectrum active protection to land vehicles. The specifications include full hemispherical coverage to detect incoming threats and alert the crew. When installed in full configuration, the System offers main battle tank comparable protection also to light and medium combat vehicles against engagement by weapons like the RPGs, anti-tank missiles, KE ammunition, mortars and artillery shells.

 LEDS consists of a sensor suite including Laser Warning Systems and Radar sensors, a central active defence controller (ADC), a high speed directed launch system (HSDL) and countermeasure options, ranging from fast multi-spectral smoke, through active signature management devices and decoys, to hardkill options defeats the entire engagement cycle before it impacts the vehicle. The deployment is controlled intelligently from the ADC by taking into consideration the wind conditions, threat engagement geometry and vehicle motion.