Chinese Sky Dragon SAM Completes Field Evaluation For Possible Indonesian Procuremnt

Indonesian air force has completed field evaluation of Norinco’s Sky Dragon 50 medium-range Surface to air missile system, which the service is likely to buy from the Chinese firm.

The Norinco has recently submitted a proposal to supply the Sky Dragon to the Indonesian Air Force, a company official told IHS Jane's 360 at the Indo Defence 2016 exhibition in Jakarta.

"We are now waiting for the official bidding process to start," said a NORINCO official, although he did not disclose the scope of the air force requirement.

A Sky Dragon battery consists of an IBIS150 3D target designation radar, a fire distribution vehicle, and three to six launch vehicles, each armed with four ready-to-fire missiles carried in container-launcher tubes of circular cross-section. In this configuration, a battery will be capable of engaging up to 12 targets simultaneously and firing all 12 individually targeted missiles in seconds.

NORINCO is competing to supply the Sky Dragon against other competitors. However, the system is more convenient to operate than other systems

"There is no major training programme required for the Sky Dragon and the rockets are supported by an advanced active radar seeker, which increases accuracy significantly. Also, the Sky Dragon is about 40% cheaper than some other medium-range air defence systems.

NORINCO has been active in Indonesia "about 20 years" supplying mainly the Indonesian Army and Indonesian Navy with "rockets and air defence" products.