BAE Systems is actively evaluating potential local manufacturing opportunities in India for its Tridon Mk 2 mobile air-defense system to support the Indian Army’s future air-defense requirements through a localized manufacturing strategy. Tony Walton, the newly appointed managing director of BAE Systems India, told Janes on July 21 that the defense contractor is exploring strategic partnerships with domestic Indian firms to produce the system locally. This strategic push comes as New Delhi intensifies its pursuit of modern ground-based air-defense (GBAD) and Very Short-Range Air-Defence System (V-SHORADS) capabilities to bolster regional airspace denial and protect tactical assets against evolving low-altitude aerial threats, particularly unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and loitering munitions.
In official communications with Janes on July 24, a BAE Systems spokesperson expressed strong confidence in the technological capabilities and industrial absorption capacity of Indian defense manufacturers to support the operational requirements of the Indian Army. While the company confirmed its intent to deliver the platforms in collaboration with a domestic partner, BAE Systems has not yet disclosed whether any specific firms have been shortlisted or if formal contract negotiations have commenced. Furthermore, while the initiative directly aligns with India’s overarching “Make in India” defense production policy, BAE Systems clarified that local assembly of the Swedish-developed artillery system remains contingent upon the Indian Armed Forces formally selecting the platform under an upcoming procurement program.
Originally unveiled by BAE Systems Bofors at the Eurosatory 2024 defense exhibition in Paris, the Tridon Mk 2 is a self-propelled, remotely controlled 40 mm anti-aircraft artillery system engineered specifically to fill critical tactical gaps located behind costly surface-to-air missile tiers. Representing the latest evolution in BAE Systems Bofors’ nearly 90-year lineage of anti-aircraft artillery design dating back to 1936, the system utilizes a modernized land-based adaptation of the proven Bofors 40 Mk4 naval gun system—itself a lightweight derivative of the classic L/70 cannon. The artillery unit delivers a rate of fire of 300 rounds per minute, features an elevation range up to 80 degrees with full 360-degree traverse, and provides an effective engagement envelope reaching up to 12.5 km (7.7 miles) depending on terrain, target profile, and sensor integration.
Designed for highly agile operational deployment, the modular Tridon Mk 2 system can be integrated onto various 6×6 and 8×8 tactical wheeled truck chassis as well as BvS10 tracked armored vehicles, delivering cost-effective air-denial capability against drones, cruise missiles, fixed-wing aircraft, and light armored ground targets. A crucial element of the system’s lethality is its compatibility with Bofors 40 mm 3P (Pre-fragmented, Programmable, Proximity-fuzed) all-target ammunition, which offers six distinct operational modes—including three proximity fuzing options—allowing target engagement modes to be selected in real-time at the exact moment of firing with target reaction times under 0.5 seconds. Highlighting the platform’s growing combat profile in contemporary high-intensity conflict environments, Sweden has committed EUR400 million (USD435 million) toward the procurement of Tridon Mk 2 systems for Ukraine to defend critical military forces and civil infrastructure against persistent Russian drone strikes.
