India and France Defence Cooperation

India and France have signed a defence collaboration pact to enable indigenous production of advanced navigation and firing systems, strengthening India’s artillery and air-defence capabilities.

• Earlier Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) signed a Joint Venture Cooperation Agreement with Safran for joint production of the Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range (HAMMER) Smart Precision Guided Air-to-Ground weapons in India.

Key highlights of the Collaboration

• Parties Involved: India Optel Limited (IOL), and Safran Electronics & Defense (France) signed a collaboration agreement for technology transfer and local manufacturing.
  • India Optel Limited (IOL) is an Indian state-owned defence company established in 2021 that specializes in the manufacture of electro-optical sensors, weapon sights, and communication equipment.
• Systems Covered: The pact covers the SIGMA 30N Digital Ring Laser Gyro Inertial Navigation System and the CM3-MR Direct Firing Sight.
• Implementation: IOL will handle manufacturing, assembly, testing, quality control, and life-cycle support for the Indian Army.

About SIGMA 30

• SIGMA 30 is a combat-proven inertial navigation system used in artillery guns, air-defence systems, missiles, and radars.
• Key Features
• • Provides high-precision navigation and positioning for artillery and combat platforms.
  • Enables autonomous engagement capability, functioning effectively even in GPS-denied or jammed environments.
  • Assists in rapid detection and localisation of enemy firing positions, improving counter-battery operations.
  • Enhances operational deployment of artillery units and intelligence systems.

About CM3-MR Direct Firing Sight

• CM3-MR is a high-precision, combat-proven direct firing sight developed by Safran for modern artillery and air-defence systems.
• Key Features
• • Provides accurate line-of-sight targeting for direct fire operations.
  • Designed to function reliably in all-weather and low-visibility conditions.
  • Enhances target acquisition, tracking, and engagement speed for ground-based weapons.
  • Integrates with modern fire-control and navigation systems for improved accuracy.
    • Deployed in anti-drone and short-range air-defence systems to counter low-flying threats.

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Significance of the Collaboration

• Strengthens Atmanirbhar Bharat by enabling indigenous production of critical defence technologies.
• Enhances combat readiness and survivability of Indian artillery and air-defence systems.
• Deepens India–France strategic defence cooperation, complementing recent collaborations like the HAMMER precision munition programme.

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