Thales, Bharat Dynamics ink STARStreak capability transfer deal

Feb. 15 (UPI) -- Thales Group and Indian state-owned contractor Bharat Dynamics have signed off on exploring the transfer of technology for the STARStreak missile capability.

A memorandum of understanding was inked by representatives from both parties in the presence of U.K. defense procurement leaders at the Aero India conference in Bengaluru. Under the agreement, Thales officials in Britain will support the Indian government's interest in purchasing STARStreak missiles operated by U.K. forces.

The deal supports the Make in India initiative, an effort to bolster India's domestic economic output in aerospace, defense and other areas. Thales says it also strengthens strategic ties between the two countries.

"Sharing technology has been one of the key ingredients of Thales' strategy for India. We would continue to work in this direction and realize our objective to make in India and export from India through such endeavors," Thales Land & Air Systems executive vice president Alex Cresswell said in a press release.

The STARStreak missile is marketed as the fastest munition in its category, and features three laser-guided darts capable of overcoming any known countermeasure. The weapon was designed to engage airborne threats such as fixed-wing fighters and rotorcraft.

The missile can be launched from land, sea and air platforms including the RAPIDRanger or the STARStreak Lightweight Multiple Launcher. Once the missile hits its target, the weapon releases fragmenting warheads to deal additional damage.