Latest news with #SCALP-EG
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Military notes of Indo-Pak conflict: inferences and conclusions
The writer is a retired major general and has an interest in International Relations and Political Sociology. He can be reached at tayyarinam@ and tweets @20_Inam Listen to article This article concludes this series covering the four-day Indo-Pak war in May 2025. The war crossed previous thresholds in geographic reach, systems employed and produced unprecedented levels of mis/dis-information, that to this day cloud a clearer understanding specially from the Indian side. It ended after significant diplomatic engagement, primarily by the US. The war saw many military firsts like: India using cruise missiles (BrahMos, SCALP-EG); Pakistan employing conventionally armed short-range ballistic missiles (Fatah Series); armed drone warfare between any nuclear armed neighbours; and the conflict being the largest aerial, EW, AI, psy-warfare duel. Whereas India delivered precise standoff attacks across Pakistan, our AD interfered and intercepted some attempted strikes. Yet, Pakistan needs more robust AD, asset hardening and intelligence. No fighter jets reportedly crossed over into the other side's airspace, signifying the seriousness of AD threat. This implies Pakistan to continue to augment the BVR (beyond visual range) capability of PAF. IAF loss of up to six planes remains the largest military cost for India's arrogant belligerence. Indian propaganda claims of intercepting Pakistani drones and missiles need further investigation. Although attention was riveted primarily to the air and drone campaigns, the ground fighting along the LoC in Kashmir was deadly, causing most of the casualties. This crisis involved innovative use of several weapons systems, neither side used during their last crisis in 2019. It would necessitate relevant defence acquisitions and doctrinal innovations by Pakistan, especially in drone and anti-drone technology, missile regime and precision, and asset hardening. Next crisis, under the prevalent Indian military thinking, might see greater and escalatory usage of cruise and ballistic missiles, armed drones, air force, long-range fires, and sabotage, imposing preparedness and readiness on Pakistan. Operationally, Pakistan fused air, missile, cyber, space and EW effects under a unified command. Next generation Chinese sensors, data links, and electronic-attack pods equipped PAF pilots, already more proficient in night and terrain-masking profiles, with the network advantage to undermine Rafaeles. Integrated EW suites blinded Indian command circuits, long enough for standoff munitions to hit with impunity. Because of inadequate pilot training and tactical cohesiveness, the IAF could not take advantage of Rafaele's Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar and Meteor BVR missiles, hence PAF controlled the airspace by integrating J-10Cs with Link-17 for real-time coordinated dogfighting tactics. The qualitative pilot and platform edge, augmented by sophistication of PAF's information grid, remained decisive and needs to be maintained and honed. Continued investment in kill chains like the C4ISR (Command, Control, Communication, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) supremacy, that out-networked India, which invested in platforms, would remain the way to go. Cyber defence, AI-based surveillance, counterintelligence and multi-domain operations should be Pakistan's preparedness hallmarks. The Indian assumption of having created a 'new normal', that of striking Pakistan proper aggressively, believing to have space for a punitive war under the nuclear overhang, although debunked significantly, needs further robust and aggressive response. A meaningful deterrence would be announcement of Pakistan's nuclear policy. From 'No-No-First Use', it should stipulate 'First-Use' against Indian aggression in future, to prevent Modi from orchestrating staged and false-flag operations. Throughout the crisis, both sides worked to calibrate escalation and showed some ability to manage escalation. Pakistan's May 7/8 drone offensive and Indian retaliatory targeting of Nur Khan airbase were escalatory, yet Islamabad showed greater maturity by restraining itself from downing more Indian planes on May 7, and avoiding more damage when India was forced to ground Rafaeles; and S-400 batteries at Udhampur and Adampur were destroyed, lending command of the air to PAF. The cost of the crisis for India is almost 7.5 times higher than for Pakistan, and 'may' induce some caution on Modi's adventurism. India's assessed damage is over $1.789 billion, compared to Pakistan's $236 million. This includes, on both sides, damage to military and civilian infrastructure i.e. airbases, aircraft losses, border posts, UAVs, radar systems, fuel depots; civilian houses, schools, hospitals, roads, border towns, communication towers; trade disruption losses; stock market impact; tourism & service sector losses; flight grounding; energy infrastructure damage; defense production halt; and foreign investment fallout etc. After losing Rafaeles, the world's markets witnessed decline in its manufacturer, the French Dassault's shares. Without meaningful international interlocutions, the crisis-prone India-Pakistan relationship will ensure peace only till another crisis erupts. Indian intransigence against composite dialogue, suggested repeatedly by Islamabad, will only constrain India's great power ambition. South Block's disdainful reluctance to hyphenate India-Pakistan relations is no more taken by Washington, which under Trump will gravitate towards a more transactional relationship with New Delhi, to be based upon 'interests' (containing China) and not' ideology' (India, the largest democracy). Pakistan's gains also include internationalising the Kashmir issue. The US crisis management was decisive, especially in the closing hours, when India was unable to stabilise the situation. The US-brokered ceasefire gave Islamabad a diplomatic upper hand, as Trump cajoled India. Pakistan must be careful about increased Indo-Israel bonhomie. Keeping the US in good humour, hence, is vital for Islamabad, given the US-Israel networking. In strategic and diplomatic arena, Pakistan's measured, calm and calibrated responses as against Indian jingoism changed the strategic equilibrium and might force India to re-evaluate future escalations. The conflict attracted worldwide attention, and most nations urged restraint and communications, gravitating to Pakistan's position of commitment to peace, stability and national defence. Pakistan's military professionalism, readiness, leadership and deterrence, throughout the crisis, highlighted India's dangerous political irresponsibility. The launch of Operation Sindoor itself was a blatant act of pre-emptive aggression, motivated more by internal politics and raw bravado. India upended the regional strategic status quo, violated international law, and LoC protocols by starting the conflict; Pakistan only retaliated to respond to Indian provocations, demonstrating strategic prudence. The conflict was a strategic setback for India, which found itself equated with Pakistan, a smaller, weaker country. The war unified Pakistan's fractured political forces, and its military regained its characteristic popularity. Pakistan's political leadership now seems more willing to strengthen the military. Media handling and information dissemination by the ISPR was mature and organised, compared to India, where military officials and media mostly promoted fictional, false and hyper-nationalist jingoistic themes. Indian briefings created controversy about Indian spokesperson, Col Sofiya Qureshi's religion. Indian media lost credibility over news like India taking control of Karachi Port, etc. In sum, Pakistan emerged taller from the crisis.
India.com
25-06-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Operation Sindoor: IAF Rafale completely destroyed PAF Bases, unleashed 10 SCALP-EG on Pakistan, BrahMos-A missiles also helped to...
Operation Sindoor: IAF Rafale completely destroyed PAF Bases, unleashed 10 SCALP-EG on Pakistan, BrahMos-A missiles also helped to… BrahMos-A supersonic cruise missiles delivered devastating strikes with their Mach 2.8–3.0 speed and extended range of 450–800 km. By Victor Dasgupta Edited by Victor Dasgupta Advertisement This part of France's Rafale fighter jet is the most expensive because…, India to make… New Delhi: The Indian Air Force (IAF) conducted a significant operation targeting Pakistan Air Force (PAF) bases during the recent India-Pakistan conflict, Air Forces Monthly, a leading military aviation magazine reported in its latest issue. The magazine is published by Key Publishing Ltd in Stamford, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom. In its latest edition, the magazine details how IAF Rafale jets fired 10 SCALP-EG cruise missiles as part of Operation Sindoor. The operation saw a devastating combination of SCALP-EG and BrahMos-A missiles working in tandem to strike some of the PAF's most secure air bases, dealing a severe blow to Pakistan's air defense capabilities. Advertisement === Operation Sindoor was a retaliatory campaign launched in response to a Pakistan-backed terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, 2025, which killed 26 civilians. The IAF's Rafale jets, operating from bases such as Ambala and Hasimara, launched 10 SCALP-EG (Système de Croisière Autonome à Longue Portée, also known as Storm Shadow) cruise missiles targeting critical PAF infrastructure, including command centers, hardened aircraft shelters, and runways, according to the Air Forces Monthly report, corroborated by sources from the Indian Defence Research Wing ( Advertisement === Here are some of the key details: Of the 10 SCALP-EG missiles fired, nine scored direct hits during Operation Sindoor One missile reportedly malfunctioned due to an engine failure, a rare occurrence for the MBDA-developed missile known for its reliability. BrahMos-A supersonic cruise missiles, launched by modified Su-30MKI fighters, faced no such issues BrahMos-A supersonic cruise missiles delivered devastating strikes with their Mach 2.8–3.0 speed and extended range of 450–800 km. The SCALP-EG's low-observable design allowed it to bypass Pakistan's Chinese-supplied HQ-9 and HQ-16 air defense systems Its inertial navigation system (INS), combined with GPS and terrain-referencing navigation (TERCOM), ensured precise targeting of high-value assets, such as a command post and two hangars housing F-16 fighters at Sargodha airbase. Satellite imagery from Indian firm KawaSpace and Maxar Technologies confirmed significant damage, including a direct hit on a hangar at Bholari airbase, which housed a Saab 2000 Erieye Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft and at least three F-16A/B Block-15 fighters. The Air Forces Monthly report underscores the strategic significance of the recent strikes that severely damaged key Pakistan Air Force (PAF) bases, including Nur Khan (Rawalpindi), Rafiqui (Shorkot), Murid (Chakwal), Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, Chunian (Kasur), Jacobabad, Sargodha, and Skardu. Additionally, radar installations at Pasrur and Sialkot were also hit. As part of a larger Indian Air Force (IAF) offensive, the operation successfully targeted 11 out of 13 major PAF airbases. Notably, the BrahMos-A missile made its combat debut, living up to its reputation as a nearly untraceable weapon thanks to its low-altitude flight path and supersonic speed.
Spectator
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Spectator
Does India still have an airpower advantage over Pakistan?
In the early morning of May 7, India launched missile and air strikes – referred to as Operation Sindoor – at nine locations within Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Indian authorities said it was a response to the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, which left 26 civilians dead, most of them Indian tourists. The stated targets were terrorist facilities associated with groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba. Indian sources report that the strikes involved the use of SCALP-EG land-attack cruise missiles and AASM HAMMER precision-guided bombs. India is believed to use the export version of the SCALP-EG, which has a range of roughly 250 kilometers. The AASM HAMMER, when deployed from high altitude and speed, can reportedly reach targets up to 70 kilometers away. Following the strikes, images circulated online showing the discarded booster and nose cone of at least one BrahMos PJ-10 cruise missile recovered within Indian territory.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Europe's top missile maker MBDA boosts output 33% amid record orders
PARIS — MBDA, Europe's largest missile maker, boosted production and deliveries by 33% in 2024, as demand from European governments for air defense and battlefield munitions lifted orders to a record. The maker of Aster air-defense interceptors, the SCALP-EG/Storm Shadow cruise missile and Exocet anti-ship weapon expects missile production to double this year from the 2023 level, Chief Executive Officer Éric Béranger said at a press conference here on Monday. MBDA orders have surged since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with European countries spending billions to strengthen their air defenses as well as help Ukraine. The company may stand to gain further over concerns whether the U.S. is a reliable supplier of weapons for Europe, as President Donald Trump threatens to withhold NATO security guarantees, increasingly aligns with Russia and talks of annexing Canada and Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark. 'This is a little bit a moment of truth for Europe,' Béranger said. 'We have all the technological capabilities that we need, we have the brains, which means that it is really a matter of what we want to do in Europe, what position we want to reach. This is the reason why the moment is absolutely historic.' MBDA is the only Western company besides American firms capable of producing 'the full range of complex weapons,' Béranger said. The company makes short, medium and long-range air-defense missiles, cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles and anti-tank munitions, and is developing a hypersonic interceptor. The company is a pan-European joint venture between Airbus, the U.K.'s BAE Systems and Italy's Leonardo, and is based in a suburb southwest of Paris. Local units in the U.K., France, Germany and Italy allow governments there to shield some national defense interests from the group. MBDA's orders jumped to a record €13.8 billion (US$15 billion) last year from €9.9 billion in 2023, and compared to €5.1 billion in 2021, before Russia invaded Ukraine. Meanwhile, sales rose to €4.9 billion from €4.5 billion a year earlier. The order backlog end-December reached €37 billion, the highest ever, from €28 billion at the end of 2023. The war in Ukraine and attacks by Houthi rebels on ships in the Red Sea since 2023 have raised the profile of MBDA products, several of which now carry the 'combat proven' tag. Béranger mentioned the downing of a Sukhoi fighter jet by Ukraine using a French-Italian SAMP/T system with Aster missiles, and Ukraine's use of SCALP/Storm Shadow. French and British warships have used Aster to down anti-ship ballistic missiles in the Red Sea, and the CEO said the Italian Navy has also used the interceptor there. 'In 2024 you may have seen that the MBDA products were used in a number of theaters and were used in a very reliable way,' Béranger said. Denmark last week shortlisted SAMP/T for a planned purchase of air defense systems, in competition with the U.S. Patriot system, to cover the high end of the threat spectrum. For the lower end, MBDA's VL MICA system is facing off with Kongsberg's NASAMS, the IRIS-T SLM from Diehl Defense, and the U.S. IFPC. France, Italy and the U.K. last week confirmed an order for an additional 218 Aster missiles, including the Aster 30 B1 variant for the three countries' navies and French and Italian SAMP/T systems, and the shorter-range Aster 15 for the French Navy. That follows a French-Italian order in December 2022 for 700 Aster missiles. Béranger said with regards to buying European or non-European, the priority should be to keep the design authority in-house. That's what allowed MBDA to adapt Storm Shadow and SCALP missiles to Ukrainian Sukhoi aircraft within only a few weeks, he explained. 'It was absolutely not foreseen for this, but because we did have the design authority in Europe, we had the knowledge, and we had the authority to decide how to do it,' Béranger said. The CEO declined to say which MBDA products are subject to U.S. export regulations or contain U.S.-sourced components, but said 'every time our customers want us to be desensitized, we can do that, and we are doing that.' The company worked in 2019 to rid SCALP of parts subject to the U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulation, after the U.S. blocked the sale of the cruise missile to Egypt in 2018. The company is set to invest €2.4 billion through to 2029 to accelerate production, and targets 2,600 new hires this year. That's after recruiting 2,500 people in 2024, increasing the workforce to more than 18,000 employees. 'The world has changed, meaning that basically MBDA needs to industrialize more itself in order to deliver higher pace and higher volumes,' Béranger said. 'This is happening in all our sites.' The company is pre-assembling some missile parts and subsystems before receiving orders to be ready to deliver a number of missiles 'very quickly' if asked to do so. MBDA is 'very, very much ahead' of schedule on plans to raise Aster production by 50% in 2026 compared with 2022, according to Béranger. He said the company reached a target to quadruple monthly output of the Mistral short-range air defense missile already in 2024, rather than this year. 'We are ahead of time on each of those targets that I mentioned last year, and this is true for a number of capabilities,' the MBDA CEO said, saying that also applies to the Akeron anti-tank missile, CAMM air-defense missile and Enforcer infantry weapon. MBDA is working with startups to develop drones and loitering munitions, and is talking to some industries including automotive about potential mass production, should the need arise. 'This is really a domain where we are teaming, because MBDA is not a drone manufacturer.' Béranger said laser weapons are coming, but will complement rather than replace missiles. 'It will be an interesting complement, because indeed, firing a laser of course is not very expensive. Building a laser is expensive, but firing a laser can be pretty cheap.' The U.K., France, Germany and Italy are working on separate laser-weapon projects, and MBDA is involved in all four countries, Béranger said. Making laser weapons truly effective will still require a lot of work and resources, and the CEO said he expects countries to start cooperating at some point, and MBDA is positioned for that. The company is working on two missiles as part of the Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon program as successors for both SCALP/Storm Shadow and Exocet. For now, the timetables for the high-speed maneuverable RJ10 missile and the stealth subsonic TP15 are consistent, with the missiles expected in the early 2030s, according to Béranger.
