12,000 old missiles a bother for army

Dated weapons are a headache. And the army is beginning to realise it as it looks for ways to dispose off — hold your breath — 12,000 missiles.

The anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs), which are now over 20 years old, were originally manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) and were to serve for a decade. The missiles were on a life extension.

“We have decided to dispose them off, but need to figure out how,” said a senior officer at the army headquarters. He said the 12,000 missiles are presently lying in the army’s ammunition depots across the country.

The missiles — Russian Konkurs produced in India under a licence — could still be used during exercises, he said. But that would mean taking the risk of using outdated ammunition. “Who would want to take that risk?” he asked.

The move also comes at a time when an intense debate is building up over the purchase of a new generation of ATGMs. And, for the first time probably, Israelis and Americans are pitted against each other in an army offer to buy weapons.

According to sources, while the army has formally shown interest in the US-made Javelin missiles, a delegation that visited Israel in November had given its thumbs up to much cheaper Israeli Spike missiles.

Army sources said trials of Spike missiles in Pokhran had failed in the past. But it was a “trouble with a particular lot”. Army sources said a newer version of Spike was successfully test-fired when its delegation visited Israel.

US firms Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, who manufacture Javelin, have been trying hard to sale the missile to the army. The missile’s fire power was demonstrated during a recent exercise.