New Delhi: European missile and related systems giant MBDA has signed an agreement with the Indian Air Force for the development of a local capability for the Maintenance, Repair, and Mid-Life Overhaul (MRO) of MICA Missiles.
MICA is the multi-mission air-to-air missile system for the Rafale and the upgraded Mirage 2000 combat aircraft. It has a dual role, covering both Beyond Visual Range (BVR) and Short-Range (SR) combat situations, and exhibits very high performance in both roles. MICA was first incorporated into the Indian Air Force in 2016, following the upgrade of its Mirage 2000 fleet.
Notably, it offers two guidance systems with its two different seekers: the RF MICA, which has a radar seeker providing all-weather shoot-up/shoot-down capability, and the IR MICA, which has a dual-waveband imaging Infrared seeker.
The Indian Air Force will set up, operate, and maintain the MRO facility, with MBDA supplying the required industrial machinery and tools, data packages, as well as training and technical support. Developing these facilities locally will foster long-term capability building, secure technical expertise for years to come, and develop India’s strategic autonomy, reflecting the core principles of Atmanirbhar Bharat, the ambitious campaign launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2020.
This facility will help India’s domestic defense sustainment effort by improving turnaround times and providing capacity to support MICA missiles throughout their service duration, significantly enhancing the operational capability and readiness of the Indian Armed Forces.
(Edited by Varnika Dhawan)
Akshat Mohan is a TPSJ alum, currently interning with ThePrint.
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