Thales, BDL to Supply Laser Beam Riding ManPad Missiles to India

Thales and Bharat Dynamics Ltd. (BDL) have signed a contract to supply Laser Beam Riding ManPad (LBRM) Very Short Range Air Defence Missiles (VSHORAD) to the Indian Ministry of Defence.

The agreement follows the 2021 Partnership Agreement between Thales and BDL, supported by the Indian and U.K. governments, to develop the LBRM system. The missiles, 60% of which will be produced in India, are designed to counter threats from ground attack aircraft, drones, and pop-up attack helicopters.

This contract is the first major defence agreement under the India-U.K. Defence Partnership, aimed at facilitating government-to-government contracts and trade. It also supports the Make in India initiative, ensuring technology transfer and local manufacturing for future defence requirements.

The LBRM system being supplied to India is essentially a localized version of Thales’ StarStreak missile, produced in collaboration with Bharat Dynamics Ltd. (BDL) under the Make in India initiative.

The procurement includes High Velocity StarStreak missiles and launchers, providing India with a very short-range air defence capability. The StarStreak system, featuring missiles with speeds exceeding Mach 3.0, is designed for rapid response against aerial threats.

The agreement is expected to enhance U.K. production capacity at Thales’ Belfast facility.