With both China and Pakistan raising rocket forces, India must focus seriously a varied missile programme

Gp Capt. A.K. Sachdev (retd)

The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war is now over four years old while the US-Israel-Iran tangle started just four weeks ago at the time of writing this. Both wars have involved the use of all conventional weapon systems and platforms at the disposal of the contenders. The Iran war is constantly drawing alarming comments about how close it is to a nuclear use even as the US and Israel are facing frustration in their ever-changing war objectives and Iran is pushed to desperation. Manned aircraft, missiles and drones have all been used extensively for attacks on both sides. This article focuses on the use of missiles for offensive roles in recent wars (including Op Sindoor) and highlights the importance of missiles in modern warfare as also the lessons being thrown up by ongoing and recent wars.

Some Thoughts on Missiles

Missiles have become the weapon of choice for precision strikes to deliver warheads over long distances. While manned aircraft will never be totally substituted by them, they are gradually taking on manned aircraft weapon delivery roles. The reasons are obvious. Missiles have much larger ranges than aircraft, are much faster (some are super- and hyper-sonic) and hence more difficult to detect and destroy and can use a space route (ballistic missiles) or hug the ground (like some cruise missiles). 

Moreover, unlike a manned aircraft, there is no crew on board whose safety and physiological limitations are to be heeded for design, performance and missions that compel it to fly into enemy territory or over dense air defence environment. The range, performance and payload of missiles have increased dramatically during the last two decades. Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) can traverse up to 15,000 km over the earth’s surface; contrast this reach to the earth’s circumference of a little over 40,000 km. They thus fall short of a worldwide coverage from a single launch base but can travel from one continent to another. Moreover, Sea Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBMs) can have nuclear missiles and launched from submarines, thus effectively increasing coverage theoretically to the whole globe. There is also the advantage of making missiles dual purpose with conventional heads interchangeable with nuclear ones, thus causing ambiguity amongst potential adversaries.

Meanwhile, technological advances have made them available to more nations. If reports about the Diego Garcia attack are true, Iran would have launched Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles (IRBMs), either Khorramshahr or Qaem-100, from Iran mainland to travel 4,000 km to their target. The missiles missed the base but made a significant point about t