Context: Amid ongoing India-Pakistan face-off, India is using new-age weapons to carry-out precision strikes to hit terrorist infrastructure inside Pakistan and in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key facts about Precision-guided Long Range Weapons.
India’s Precision-guided Long Range Weapons
Indian military has built up a formidable arsenal of new-age weapons that includes a range of precision-guided long-range weapons and drones, including loitering munitions. Some examples include:
1. HAMMER (Highly Agile and Manoeuvrable Munition Extended Range):
- Air-to-ground precision-guided weapon system for the Rafale fighter aircraft.
- Built by: Safran Group, France
- Range of up to 70 km. Integrated with Rafale fighter Aircraft.
- Autonomous guidance system (Inertial Navigation System (INS), Global Positioning System (GPS) and laser).
- Used for precision strikes against a range of targets in medium-range tactical operations.
- Can be launched from low altitude over rough terrain.
- Can also be fitted to bombs and various guided systems.
- All-weather and insensitive to jamming.
2. SCALP (SCALP-EG or Storm Shadow):
- Air-launched cruise missile designed for long-range deep strikes.
- Manufactured by: MBDA (European multinational group)
- Range of 450 km. Has stealth features. Can be operated at night and in all weather conditions.
- Integrated with Rafale fighter Aircraft.
- Difficult to detect due to its low-flying capability when fired from an aircraft. Can penetrate bunkers and ammunition stores.
- Has advanced and highly accurate navigation system, which uses Inertial Navigation System (INS), Global Positioning System (GPS) and terrain referencing.
3. METEOR:
- Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) system designed to deliver unmatched performance in complex electronic-warfare environments.
- Manufactured by: MBDA (European multinational group)
- Equipped with a solid-fuel ramjet engine. Sustains thrust throughout the flight, unlike conventional rocket-powered missiles.
- Offers the largest ‘No Escape Zone’ of any air-to-air missile system (i.e., a much greater area within which the target cannot evade the missile).
- Range over 100 kilometres. Integrated into Rafale aircrafts. Highly resistant to jamming.
4. BRAHMOS:
- Supersonic cruise missiles built by BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture between India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya.
- Range: ~450 km (earlier 290 km)
- Operates at close to Mach 3 speed in the cruise phase, which ensures reduced flight time, lower dispersion of targets, and quicker engagement time and non-interception.
- Operates on a ‘Fire and Forget Principle’, adopting varieties of flights on its way to the target.
- Terminal Altitude: 10- 15 km
- The missile carries a conventional warhead weighing 200-300 kg.
5. Loitering Munitions:
- Used for surveillance and identification of targets.
- Can carry out precision strikes, autonomously or otherwise.
- Range: 30-100 km
- E.g., SkyStriker (Israeli-origin)