NEW DELHI, India (BulgarianMilitary.com) – Thales revealed on 21st February 2019 that the company will equip the Indian Armed Forces with 2.75-inch rocket launchers under a contract awarded by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), learned BulgarianMilitary.com.

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The contract covers the equipment for 18 Advanced Light Helicopters and 15 Light Combat Helicopters of the Indian Army and Air Force. Each of them will be equipped with four 2.75-inch (70-mm) 12-tube rocket launchers. The goal is enhancement of the tactical capabilities of the Indian Armed Forces that are involved in a wide range of deployments in remote theatres, conducting operations beyond the scope of traditional homeland defence. The contract also covers delivery of fire control capability and the T100 sighting system as was the case with previous agreements of that scope. More than eighty Advanced Light Helicopters have been equipped with that solution as of the moment.

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Last year Thales’s rocket launcher was tested and qualified for the Light Combat Helicopter in India. It is fully certified, field-proven and competitive, and suitable for use on both combat and light helicopters.

Emmanuel de Roquefeuil, VP and Country Director, Thales in India, commented, “This new collaboration between Thales and HAL in the field of air-launched weaponry opens up new opportunities for the supply of equipment to the Indian armed forces, and consolidates Thales’s position in the Indian market. With this, helicopter crews will see a significant improvement in their tactical capabilities during missions.”

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Thales and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) have partnered for more than 50 years.

The 2.75-inch (70-mm) rocket launcher of Thales is manufactured using composite material, due to which it is averagely 50% lighter than metal launchers and corrosion issues are avoided. It provides best-in-class precision and reliability. The 2.75-inch (70-mm) munitions available for use with the launchers range from conventional rockets to Thales’s laser-guided variant, so a broad spectrum of missions could be covered.

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BulgarianMilitary.com

Source: Thales