Exclusive! India renews interest in Aegis
Neelam Mathews July 21, 2012 Washington D.C Over three years since the Indian Navy showed an interest in the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) system, India might be rethinking the acquisition. A Request For Information is expected to be released for the system. This will be an FMS case, AerospaceDiary learns. Aegis is the primary sea-based component of the U.S. missile defense system. Aegis BMD seamlessly integrates the SPY-1 radar, MK 41 Vertical Launching System, and SM-3 missile through an advanced command and control system. Japan, Korea, Spain, Norway and Australia have already bought the system. Kuwait and UAE have shown interest, according to Lockheed Martin's Jeff Bantle here. He adds demand is increasing as the threat environment intensifies. Twenty-six Aegis BMD-equipped warships - 22 in the U.S. Navy and four in the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force - have the certified capability to engage ballistic missiles and perform long-range surveillance and tra...