Defense News:
NEW DELHI — India has officially selected Russian firm Rosoboronexport as the winner for Indian Army’s $1.5 billion Very-Short-Range Air Defence, or VSHORAD program, after months of delays over complaints made by other competitors in the competition.
In a Nov. 19 meeting with the three finalists — Rosoboronexport, MBDA of France and Saab of Sweden — officials from India declared the Russian firm’s Igla-S system the winner, a senior ministry of defence official told Defense News.
In May this year, Rosoboronexport was declared the lowest bidder among the three competitors. However, competitors in the program complained to the Indian army that the Russian firm was even allowed to be a finalist, as it had failed two initial technical tests; under procurement guidelines, failure in those tests should have knocked the Igla-S out of the running.
