Indian Government News, In the midst of a CBI probe into alleged kickbacks in their purchase, Naval Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta has said the Barak missiles have “proved themselves” and that fresh supplies were “held up” due to the investigations.
“The Barak missiles have performed on board naval warships” he said but added it was for the Government to probe if there had been any wrongdoings.
He told reporters that since their induction on board frontline naval warships the navy had carried out 30 tests of the anti-missile weapon system against surface-to-air missiles. “They have proved themselves. All except the first one were direct hits”, the naval chief said.
Discounting reports that the force was facing any shortage of these missiles, which protect warships including the sole aircraft carrier 'INS Viraat' against sea-skimming missiles and other threats, the Naval Chief said “we have enough of these missiles in our armoury”.
But at the same time, he said, new supplies of the missile were held up as government was yet to take a decision on the status of its makers Israeli Aircraft Industries (IAI) pending the on-going kickbacks probe.
Mehta's comments come in the wake of CBI questioning the former Naval Chief Admiral Sushil Kumar in connection with the case.
The agency is also planning to quiz former Defence Minister George Fernandes.
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