France May Develop Short-Range SAM With India / France Hopes To Develop SR-SAM With India

France May Develop Short-Range SAM With India / France Hopes To Develop SR-SAM With India (NSI News Source Info) January 20, 2009: France wants to develop a new short-range surface-to-air missile (SR-SAM) in cooperation with India. Negotiations are nearing conclusion, according to Jean-David Levitte, Diplomatic Adviser to French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Trishul is the name of a short range surface-to-air missile developed by India as a part of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program. It has a range of 9 km and is fitted with a 5.5 kg warhead. Designed to be used against low-level (sea skimming) targets at short range, the system has been developed to defend naval vessels against missiles and also as a short range surface to air missile on land. Guidance consists of three different guiding beams, with the guidance handed over progressively to a narrower beam as the missile approaches the target. According to reports, the range of the missile is 12 km and is fitted with a 15 kg warhead. The weight of the missile is 130 kg. The length of the missile is 3.1 m. Development costs of the missile touched almost $70 million to the taxpayers.India had Officially shut down Trishul Missile project on February 27,2008.

This new system may be the Maitri, which may incorporate technology from India's Trishul SAM and MBDA's MICA. India' state-run Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) released a global RFP for co-development of SR-SAM system.

Levitte said the process to secure a foreign partner is underway. India recently announced orders for the Akash, another indigenously designed missile, and the Israeli-built SPYDER.