NEW DELHI (Reuters) - European defence group MBDA on Tuesday said it plans to upgrade India’s Jaguar and Mirage 2000 fighters and also develop missiles with an India research unit.
“India is the biggest market for us globally,” Loic Piedevache, India country head, MBDA, told Reuters. “We are looking to consolidate our position.”
MBDA, which is a leader in manufacturing missiles, is a venture of European aerospace group EADS, Britain’s BAE Systems and Italy’s Finmeccanica.
Piedevache said the company plans to upgrade more than 100 Jaguars with the latest Asraam missiles, to replace the older Magic missiles.
MBDA also plans to upgrade more than 50 Mirage 2000 fighters.
“We are looking to expand in India,” he said. “We are working with big private groups and we are working with SMEs.”
The company is also working with the Indian government’s defence research unit to develop surface-to-air missiles, he said.
Reporting by Bappa Majumdar; editing by Malini Menon
