India cancels SR-SAM contest, buying more Akash instead

The Indian government has decided to cancel the Short Range Surface to Air Missile (SR-SAM) contest and buy more of the indigenous Akash air defense missile systems instead.

Akash missile Aero India 2011
By Defence19 [CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

“The DAC has cancelled the global buy of two regiments of SR-SAM. The case continued for 5-6 years and trials of certain equipment were conducted. The DAC has now decided to go in with additional Akash systems,” the Hindu quoted an anonymous defense source as saying.

The two new regiments are expected to be inducted in 2018, bring the total number in service with the Indian Army to four.