Leading French electronics company, Thales, has agreed to transfer critical technology to India for the construction of 19 low-level air defence radar systems, a company chief told AFP on Thursday.
Philippe Braquilanges, managing director of the firm's Indian subsidiary, said the multi-million dollar deal would allow India's state-owned Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) to produce 19 ground-based Low-Level Target Radars (LLTR) within the next two to three years.
India, which has developed a range of ballistic missiles in a project dating back to 1983, is currently scouring Western markets to put in place an airtight missile defence system in a second phase of a national programme to arm itself.
"Price negotiation with India's ministry of defence concluded last August and contractual negotiations with BEL has been finalised, and so the only remaining step is the final clearance of the cabinet committee on security affairs," Braquilanges said.
"And it is a matter of days before this clearance is given," the Thales chief said in an interview.
BEL officials at the fair, being attended by representatives of 300 companies from 21 countries as well as 18 defence ministers, confirmed that the deal was awaiting cabinet's clearance.
Both BEL and Thales, citing contractual obligations, declined to put a price tag on the deal, but experts estimate the contract would be worth millions of dollars.
Thales, which is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its partnership with BEL this year, has adopted a policy of not transferring LLTR technology to Pakistan, India's nuclear-capable rival.
"Oh, no we will not sell to Pakistan," Braquilanges said.
Thales is also a party in discussions between India and French shipbuilder DCN for the production of six Scorpene submarines worth at least two billion euros ($ 2.5 billion) at a ship-building yard near Bombay.
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