IAF Shifts to Faster, More Evasive Air-Launched Ballistic Missiles for Deep-Strike Capability, Citing Vulnerabilities of Cruise Missiles

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is undergoing a strategic shift in its approach to long-range strike missions, increasingly favoring air-launched ballistic missiles (ALBMs) over traditional subsonic cruise missiles.

This change is driven by the recognition that even stealthy cruise missiles are becoming more susceptible to interception by modern air defence systems due to their predictable flight paths.

To bolster its deep-strike capabilities, the IAF has integrated the Rampage and ROCKS ALBMs, both sourced from Israel. These missiles are designed to deliver precision strikes against high-value, hardened targets.

Importantly, local production of these missiles is underway, underscoring India's commitment to self-reliance and cost-efficiency in defence procurement.

In addition to incorporating foreign systems, India is actively pursuing the indigenous development of ALBMs. This strategy allows for customization to meet specific operational requirements within the IAF's strategic framework, while also reducing reliance on imports.

ALBMs offer several key advantages over cruise missiles:

• High Speed: Their ballistic trajectory allows ALBMs to achieve significantly higher speeds than cruise missiles, reducing the window for interception and providing a crucial advantage in time-sensitive scenarios.
• Maneuverability: Unlike cruise missiles that follow predictable flight paths, ALBMs can perform evasive maneuvers during their descent phase, making them harder to track and intercept.
• Penetration Capability: The ballistic trajectory also allows ALBMs to penetrate layered air defences, ensuring reliable delivery of ordnance to targets deep within enemy territory, even in the face of heavy electronic warfare.
• Mission Versatility: ALBMs provide the IAF with the flexibility to conduct a wider range of missions, from neutralizing enemy air bases and command-and-control centers to targeting mobile missile launchers.

This shift towards ALBMs signifies a significant evolution in the IAF's strike capabilities. By embracing this technology, the IAF is enhancing its ability to project power, deter adversaries, and achieve its strategic objectives in a rapidly evolving security environment.

 

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[sanket]

Local production of Rocks & Rampage missiles doesn't make self-reliance. It is produced on the basis of paying royalties and not modifying/altering the original configuration. Bharat needs to develop indigenous ALBMs for customized needs. For the short term, local assembly of these foreign-origin ALBMs can be done, but in the long term, only indigenous ALBMs are the solution.

 

[Superpower Bharat]

Local production of Rocks & Rampage missiles doesn't make self-reliance. It is produced on the basis of paying royalties and not modifying/altering the original configuration. Bharat needs to develop indigenous ALBMs for customized needs. For the short term, local assembly of these foreign-origin ALBMs can be done, but in the long term, only indigenous ALBMs are the solution.

Rudram 2,3 & 4 will be the future of IAF'S arsenal...

 

[GMR]

Rudram 2,3 & 4 will be the future of IAF'S arsenal...

If inducted in this decade... otherwise will be obsolete with technology changing very fast

 

[Superpower Bharat]

If inducted in this decade... otherwise will be obsolete with technology changing very fast

It depends on the user... 1 inducted.. 2 developmental trial will be completed in this year, 3 trial will start this year. In next 2 years it also be ready for induction... 4 may be ready in next 3 years... Now it's upon IAF what they want to do

 

[sanket]

Until India designs, develops and manufactures its own 100% indigenously developed ALBM like the Rudram variants then it’s ok to buy foreign missiles if they are manufactured in India in small numbers.

But we shouldn’t rely on those foreign indigenously manufactured missiles either as certain parts will be imported so we need to develop our own ALBM to be self reliant.

 

[Akshat]

It depends on the user... 1 inducted.. 2 developmental trial will be completed in this year, 3 trial will start this year. In next 2 years it also be ready for induction... 4 may be ready in next 3 years... Now it's upon IAF what they want to do

How is it even remotely in the IAF's hands? 🤣🤣🤣 The IAF had proposed buying it way back in 2022 itself. But until 2023 Aero India, it wasn't even ready for user trials. Since then, no news has come out. So it hasn't been inducted. (I did a Google search and also asked ChatGPT. Both show that no orders have been placed). Mk2 is still in developmental trials. 1 3 is not even in trials. So it is in the hands of DRDO; the IAF is sitting with checks ready.

 

[Radha Ramanan]

That's a good decision, which means that the IAF has been carefully watching the happenings in the Ukraine war. Cruise missiles from both sides have been shot down with all sorts of weapons, even by shoulder-fired MANPADS if enough early warning is there. The sophisticated Storm Shadow missiles that were supposed to be stealthy were also shot down. The Russian Pantsir mobile air defense system was particularly effective when there was no jamming. India is buying them.

The other point to be noted is that the war front in the Ukraine war is small, and it's easy to place anti-missile air defense along the front. Again, the battle lines seem to be devoid of any mountains to hide the missiles in a terrain-hugging profile; this makes it easy for air defenses to locate missiles. But in the Indo-Pak scenario, it will be different as both nations don't have a dedicated cruise missile defense system. There is one placement in Rajasthan devoted to cruise missile defense, as that area would be the most probable route taken by Pakistani cruise missiles to hit India. Cruise missiles are inherently costlier than ballistic missiles like the Rocks and Rampage, as well as being easy to maintain.

The real deal is having the homing head, i.e., the inertial navigation, GPS, EO seeker, or an anti-radiation seeker.

Both the Rocks and Rampage have been battle-proven when Israel attacked Iran with them, and Iran couldn't do anything.

 

[Mango_Indian]

What happened to RUDRAM? 150 - 250km range anti radiation and air - ground missile indigenously developed and we are importing all air - ground missiles now.

So much hype, successfully tests and then thrown into garbage bin?

 

[Rp]

India needs to develop advanced ALBMs, EWS, AESA, etc., with our team of R&D. This would ensure a strong supply chain. Depending on the USA/EU is not only expensive but unreliable. India is quickly moving towards self-reliance with Atmanirbhar, which would make us a superpower inevitably. Jai Hind!