Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) announced today it has been awarded an additional, $630m contract for supply of Long Range Surface to Air Missile (LRSAM) air & missile defence systems for four ships of the Indian Navy.

The contract will be carried out, for the first time, with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), which serves as the prime contractor for the programme as part of India's "Make in India" initiative.

The LRSAM system was successfully tested last week in India as part of operational interception trial aboard an Indian Navy ship, demonstrating the system's operational capabilities in a representative scenario with a genuine target.

LRSAM is a joint development by IAI and India's Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) in collaboration with IAI subsidiary ELTA, RAFAEL, various Indian companies including BEL, L&T, BDL and other private Indian companies.

The system provides protection against a variety of aerial, naval and airborne threats and is operational with the Indian Air Force, Indian Navy and Israel Defence Forces and in the near future with the Indian Army.

This latest deal follows $2bn in contracts between IAI and New Delhi announced in April, including $1.6bn for the medium-range surface to air missile (MRSAM) system to be deployed by the Indian Army. IAI said that deal was the largest contract in Israel's Defense Industries' history.