Navratna Defence Public Sector Undertaking Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sagem (Safran), France, to explore co-operation in the production and supply of navigational sensors, inertial navigational system and optronic masts to the Indian Navy for its various platforms under consideration for future induction.

The MoU was signed last week by Mr. P C Jain, Director (Marketing), BEL, and Mr. Bruno Even, CEO Sagem, France. Mr. S K Sharma, Chairman & Managing Director, BEL; Mr. Joel Berkoukchi COO, Avionics Division of Sagem, and Mr. Chandrasekhar S, General Manager (Naval Systems), BEL, were also present during the MoU signing at the BEL stall at Defexpo 2014.

The Indian Navy has ambitious plans of inducting ships and submarines into the service in the near future. Accordingly, the ship and submarine construction programme has been approved by the Government. Naval platforms have large-scale requirement of sensors such as SIGMA–40, Ring Laser Gyro, Optronic mast, Attack Periscope and Radar Mast for submarines.

Sagem has the technology and expertise in the manufacture of these sensors. BEL is the leader in the manufacture and supply of defence electronics for the Indian Armed Forces. BEL and Sagem coming together to co-operate in the field of navigational sensors for ships and submarines will help in meeting the needs of the Indian Navy. The MoU will help in understanding and absorbing the critical technology adopted in these sensors for use in future induction platforms of the Navy.

The MoU will facilitate BEL and Sagem to work together for 24 months and if considered necessary, the same can be extended to a further period agreeable to both the companies.

Set up in Bangalore in 1954 under the Ministry of Defence, Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has grown into India’s foremost defence electronics company. BEL is a multi-product, multi-technology, multi-Unit conglomerate with over 350 products in the areas of Military Communication, Radars, Naval Systems, C4I Systems, Weapon Systems, Homeland Security, Telecom & Broadcast Systems, Electronic Warfare, Tank Electronics, Electro Optics, Professional Electronic Components and Solar Photovoltaic Systems. BEL also provides turnkey system solutions like Campus Network and Coastal Surveillance. BEL has a pan-India presence with factories in Bangalore, Ghaziabad, Panchkula, Kotdwara, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Machilipatnam and Chennai.

Sagem, a high-tech company of Safran, holds world or European leadership positions in optronics, avionics, electronics and safety-critical software for both civil and military markets. Sagem is the No. 1 company in Europe and No. 3 worldwide for inertial navigation systems (INS) used in air, land and naval applications. It is also the world leader in helicopter flight controls and the European leader in optronics and tactical UAV systems. Operating across the globe through the Safran group, Sagem and its subsidiaries employ 7,500 people in Europe, Southeast Asia and North America.