How Rafale M Will Boost Indian Navy's Anti-Ship Capabilities with NASM-MR and BrahMos-NG Missiles

The Indian Navy is poised for a significant upgrade in its anti-ship capabilities with the impending induction of Rafale M (Marine) fighter jets. Equipped with two cutting-edge anti-ship missile systems, the NASM-MR and BrahMos-NG, these aircraft will substantially enhance India's ability to neutralize hostile warships in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

The NASM-MR (Medium Range Anti-Ship Missile), currently under development by DRDO, is an all-weather, over-the-horizon cruise missile. Designed for precision strikes, stealth, and extended reach, the NASM-MR will allow the Navy to engage enemy ships at distances up to 300 kilometers. This stand-off range places Rafale M pilots beyond the reach of most enemy ship defenses, increasing survivability and ensuring potent strike capabilities.

The missile's advanced guidance systems and reduced radar cross-section make it difficult to detect and intercept. The NASM-MR is intended for deployment on various Indian naval platforms, providing flexibility for both ship-borne and airborne launches.

Complementing the NASM-MR is the BrahMos-NG (Next Generation) missile, a miniaturized version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile developed by BrahMos Aerospace. Reaching speeds of Mach 3.5, the BrahMos-NG offers India the capability to launch high-speed attacks on enemy vessels. This velocity makes it extremely challenging for adversaries to intercept the missile with conventional anti-missile systems.

Despite its power, the BrahMos-NG is designed to be smaller and lighter than its predecessor, allowing the Rafale M to carry it without compromising aerodynamics or payload. With a range of 290 km, the BrahMos-NG can strike targets deep within enemy territory, keeping the Rafale M safely out of range while delivering devastating blows.

Both the NASM-MR and BrahMos-NG offer long-range attack capabilities, enabling the Indian Navy to strike swiftly and decisively without jeopardizing its valuable assets. This advantage is crucial for maintaining control over vital sea lanes and maritime chokepoints. The extended reach of these missiles allows the Navy to target hostile vessels long before they pose a threat to Indian assets, creating critical buffer zones around the Indian coastline and maritime borders.

Furthermore, both missiles are equipped with advanced targeting systems to ensure precision strikes and minimize collateral damage. The stealth features of the NASM-MR and the high speed of the BrahMos-NG make them incredibly difficult for enemy radar and missile defence systems to track and intercept. This combination of capabilities poses a significant challenge even to the most sophisticated ship defenses.

The versatility of the NASM-MR and BrahMos-NG allows them to be adapted for various mission profiles, from coastal defence to open-ocean engagements. This adaptability provides the Indian Navy with the flexibility to deploy Rafale M fighters in a wide range of offensive and defensive roles, ensuring operational readiness across diverse scenarios.

 

[desigandu]

They have cleared the trials both the times so not sure how they are mediocre. In fact, as per open source photographs, they carried almost 3 times as much payload as F18.

Rafale were also L1 twice. And again, as per the latest deals and publicly available data, they are even cheaper than Su30 mki made by HAL. So definitely not super expensive. Rather cheap, if anything.

And Dassault is also allowing us to integrate our weapons easily, already signing MoU for 2 of them. Of course, they will charge for them.

Rafales can’t compare to F-35s, if we can get them with American strings…Of course the operational costs may be higher but I would get 50-60 F-35s, as compared to 114 Rafales - just my thought! Trump may play ball to stab France in the back, like happened with the Aussies - interests always triumphs…This is geopolitics baby…
Look at how the Israeli F-35s, played with Iran! Great display of capability, refueling and precision strikes…If we get F-35s, Pakistan will start shi…tting…

 

[Akshat]

Rafales can’t compare to F-35s, if we can get them with American strings…Of course the operational costs may be higher but I would get 50-60 F-35s, as compared to 114 Rafales - just my thought! Trump may play ball to stab France in the back, like happened with the Aussies - interests always triumphs…This is geopolitics baby…
Look at how the Israeli F-35s, played with Iran! Great display of capability, refueling and precision strikes…If we get F-35s, Pakistan will start shi…tting…

Capability wise, no one can deny that F35 trumps Rafale. But the strings they will come with are too much. US can literally snoop on all our installations once it comes online, and they can disable them whenever they want. And no ToT, no source codes to integrate our weapons or upgrade them. So…

 

[desigandu]

Capability wise, no one can deny that F35 trumps Rafale. But the strings they will come with are too much. US can literally snoop on all our installations once it comes online, and they can disable them whenever they want. And no ToT, no source codes to integrate our weapons or upgrade them. So…

Well your (stand corrected to our) Frenchy friends can theoretically do the same…
In any case unless we are fully atmanirbhar there are always these risks…
I still think we should get 50 F-35s before 2030 if we can, as AMCA will only arrive after 2035, and most likely Rafales (even though you claim otherwise) also will arrive after 2032…

 

[Dredd]

I gave you the numbers last time too. Why protest so much against Rafale that you need to peddle lies?

how on earth the 20 year old tech su30MKi is costlier than rafale, Each sukhoi in its last contract costed $80million, compared to $230million of rafale

 

[Sridhar]

Now we have their Investment here, so that wouldn't be the case anymore, it will mutually affect each other.

It wouldn't affect the European countries much. India will get impacted .

 

[Akhil]

They have cleared the trials both the times so not sure how they are mediocre. In fact, as per open source photographs, they carried almost 3 times as much payload as F18.

Rafale were also L1 twice. And again, as per the latest deals and publicly available data, they are even cheaper than Su30 mki made by HAL. So definitely not super expensive. Rather cheap, if anything.

And Dassault is also allowing us to integrate our weapons easily, already signing MoU for 2 of them. Of course, they will charge for them.

F18 were designed in 1970. F18E designed in 90s, has 11 hardpoints, Rafale 13/14. F18E max payload capacity ~8,000 kg with superior weapon package and Rafale has ~9k-9.5k inferior weapon package. Don't know where 3 times the payload is coming from.

Rafale comes with Inferior powerplant producing ~(2X50)KN dry thrust while F18E with ~(2X55)KN. F18E comes with vastly better EW suite/Avionics.

Anyways, I was not the one to compare Rafale with F18E.

Secondly, While , I doubt your fake statistics about Rafale being cheaper than Su30 Rafale is still highly expensive overall. (For me, any fly-by imported jet is 5X cost Indigenous jet). Su30mki manufactured in India, the money is circulated inside our economy, boosting Small and medium private defense manufacturers which you only are hoping can manufacture our future jets. Provides direct and indirect jobs, helps in capacity building, developing talent pool of engineers with experience of jet manufacturing, etc.

It's a simple choice. Send 5 to someone else or spend 10rupees on yourself.

 

[Dredd]

They have cleared the trials both the times so not sure how they are mediocre. In fact, as per open source photographs, they carried almost 3 times as much payload as F18.

F-18 hornet were developed in 70-80s, The F-18E/F is super hornet which had it's first flight in 1995 and IOC and introduction in service in 2001 is very different from original one, It has different engine, airframe, and almost all the characteristics different from original one, Its like comparing Tejas mk1 FOC with Tejas Mk2. You have same design but similarity ends there.
F-18 Super hornet is newer than Rafale and EFT in developmental timelines.

 

[What the heck]

It wouldn't affect the European countries much. India will get impacted .

Investment is slowly increasing, Airbus invests $1Bln annually.

 

[Akshat]

F18 were designed in 1970. F18E designed in 90s, has 11 hardpoints, Rafale 13/14. F18E max payload capacity ~8,000 kg with superior weapon package and Rafale has ~9k-9.5k inferior weapon package. Don't know where 3 times the payload is coming from.

Rafale comes with Inferior powerplant producing ~(2X50)KN dry thrust while F18E with ~(2X55)KN. F18E comes with vastly better EW suite/Avionics.

Anyways, I was not the one to compare Rafale with F18E.

Secondly, While , I doubt your fake statistics about Rafale being cheaper than Su30 Rafale is still highly expensive overall. (For me, any fly-by imported jet is 5X cost Indigenous jet). Su30mki manufactured in India, the money is circulated inside our economy, boosting Small and medium private defense manufacturers which you only are hoping can manufacture our future jets. Provides direct and indirect jobs, helps in capacity building, developing talent pool of engineers with experience of jet manufacturing, etc.

It's a simple choice. Send 5 to someone else or spend 10rupees on yourself.

I am talking about the F18 variant which Indian Navy tested in the latest tender. Rafale carried over 3 times as much payload as F18 did.

And you are wrong again about money in the economy. In the latest tender for Su30, when asked about the percentage of indigenous content, even HAL chief refused to comment on it and said Russia will decide it. Let’s take the AL31 as the barometer. There the percentage is 47%. In the Rafale deal, we got 50% as offsets, which means the money circulated in the Indian economy was higher. As for the price, compare the price for the 2019 deal with Rafale’s bare bone code (since the Su30 deal included no new ToT, no infra, no weapons etc.).

 

[Akshat]

how on earth the 20 year old tech su30MKi is costlier than rafale, Each sukhoi in its last contract costed $80million, compared to $230million of rafale

The price we were asked to pay for Su30 mki in 2019 was 120 million usd. They included no weapons, no infra, no ToT etc. Even the level of indigenization wasn’t given. They were meant to replace older Su30.

Rafale, barebones, costed us about 92 million USD around the same time.

I hope you will either provide logical numbers to counter me or will not bring this up again.

 

[Akshat]

Well your (stand corrected to our) Frenchy friends can theoretically do the same…
In any case unless we are fully atmanirbhar there are always these risks…
I still think we should get 50 F-35s before 2030 if we can, as AMCA will only arrive after 2035, and most likely Rafales (even though you claim otherwise) also will arrive after 2032…

‘OUR’ French friends (assuming you are Indian).

And no. No other plane in the world is remotely close to F35 in those aspects. I explained above.

As for Rafale, I have given you the numbers. You are the one who keeps repeating the same thing but also refuse to provide the numbers. So when you imply me being a French agent, you should also look at your own self.

 

[desigandu]

‘OUR’ French friends (assuming you are Indian).

And no. No other plane in the world is remotely close to F35 in those aspects. I explained above.

As for Rafale, I have given you the numbers. You are the one who keeps repeating the same thing but also refuse to provide the numbers. So when you imply me being a French agent, you should also look at your own self.

In any case, claims are not reality unless say from a French government report or the Dassault annual report per which they delivered like 12-13 jets in 2023, and around 13 this year till now…

Rest is speculation and intent, not reality… In any case it is immaterial what anyone says unless GOI formally announces a deal…I speculate MRFA though needed may just die a slow death…

Innuendos don’t help - facts from credible sources only, and not what some one said or claimed matters…In any case all that i say is just my views - as i don’t claim sources or methods, unlike some who may know more, or may claim they know more…

We will see the Dassault annual report for 2024 and know the truth…

And i agree i should have said our friends instead of your friends - though folks can make up their own mind…you know AI, Grok2 is still a little clunky and still in beta…

 

[Sandeep]

If the deal goes through, which is currently stuck on price, also what is the point of getting these jets in 2035.

No I doubt it will take that long to receive it. At the latest 2030 is when we will receive it.

 

[What the heck]

France is already making many parts in India for Rafale. Like the front panel of their Radar. So…more lies.

That is nothing compared to LM and Airbus.

 

[Dredd]

The price we were asked to pay for Su30 mki in 2019 was 120 million usd. They included no weapons, no infra, no ToT etc. Even the level of indigenization wasn’t given. They were meant to replace older Su30.

Rafale, barebones, costed us about 92 million USD around the same time.

I hope you will either provide logical numbers to counter me or will not bring this up again.

load of BS.. there was no deal of Su30MKI in 2019, and we had a rafale deal in 2016 for which price is open .. 7.8billion euro for 36 jet
Even if Su30MKi was procured in 2019 ( at approx 1billion) it was to be assembled in india at HAL facility with around 50% local content.
BTW what is barebone rafale, every procured jet comes with support contract , and why would you buy weapons when you already operated 250 of Su30 already.
FYI Rafale deal came up with only 750million dollars of weapons, even if you remove this it still cost more than $200million per unit.

 

[Spectre]

No I doubt it will take that long to receive it. At the latest 2030 is when we will receive it.

If you add our 26 Rafale-M’s the backlog will climb to 266, if you want Rafale in 2030, Dassault literally has to make 44.33 Rafale’s/Year, their current production rate is 10-12/year, so practically it will take 22 year for us to get them, with this supply chain problem going on around the World, even 12/year is also not sustainable in the near future..