India Issues โน30,000 Crore Tender for Anant Shastra Missile System to Strengthen Border Air Defense
New Delhi: India has issued a tender worth approximately โน30,000 crore for the Anant Shastra surface-to-air missile weapon systems, designed to bolster air defence capabilities along its borders with Pakistan and China.The procurement proposal was cleared by the Defence Acquisition Council in May, shortly after Operation Sindoor.
Previously known as the Swift Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile (QRSAM), the system was developed by the defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Anant shastra is a mobile system capable of searching, tracking, and engaging targets while on the move, boasting a firing range of around 30 km.
The new system will complement existing air defence infrastructure, including the Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM) and Akash systems, currently operated by the Army’s Air Defence (AAD) in coordination with the Indian Air Force. During Operation Sindoor, the AAD successfully countered Pakistani drone attacks.
recent conflicts saw the Army’s air defence units utilizing L-70 and Zu-23 guns, alongside Akash and MRSAM, while the Air Force deployed spyder and S-400 systems against aerial threats, including equipment of Chinese origin.
The Army Air Defence is concurrently working to integrate new radars, vrey short-range missile systems, jammers, and laser-based systems to address the threat posed by drones from turkish and Chinese sources used by Pakistan.Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi has prioritized indigenisation, with the Zorawar light tank and further indigenous air defence platforms also in development.
The Anant Shastra missile system has undergone extensive trials under both day and night operational conditions,according to officials.
