India’s air superiority received a major boost today when it successfully test-fired Rudram anti-radiation missile, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), from a Sukhoi-30 fighter aircraft off the east coast.
The missile is meant for Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) and could be launched from a varying range of altitudes for destroying enemy surveillance radars, tracking and communication systems.
The first-of-its-kind missile in the IAF arsenal could also be integrated with Mirage 2000, Jaguar, HAL Tejas and HAL Tejas Mark 2 in future. Presently, its primary test platform is Sukhoi Su-30MKI.
This new-generation anti-radiation missile (NGARM) with a strike range of around 100 to 150 km is the first indigenous air-to-ground missile developed by the DRDO, after the supersonic BrahMos, which is a joint product with Russia.
The single-stage missile weighs 140 kg and is powered by a dual-pulsed solid rocket motor.
The missile uses pre-fragmented warhead with an optical proximity fuze. The home-grown missile is expected to create a surveillance gap in the enemy territory.
In the days since tension with China along the LAC, India has conducted four missile tests and also deployed Nirbhay missiles at the border. Approval has also been given by the Modi government for the deployment of the 700-km range surface-to-surface supersonic Shaurya strategic missile.
Recently, India had tested the Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV). The HSTDV will be developed as a carrier vehicle for hypersonic and long-range cruise missiles.
