Due to its spectacular success during the recent India-Pakistan conflict after Operation Sindoor, the IAF is reportedly pushing to bolster its SCALP missile arsenal.
SCALP Missile: The Indian Air Force (IAF) showcased its wide array of powerful missiles and fighter jets, including the SCALP long-range cruise missile and the homegrown BrahMos super-sonic missiles during Operation Sindoor, which wreaked widespread destruction on Pakistani military infrastructure during the nearly 4-day long conflict.
Why IAF is boosting SCALP missile stockpile?
Now, due to its spectacular success during the recent India-Pakistan conflict, the IAF is reportedly pushing to bolster its arsenal of SCALP missiles, while the Indian Navy has also ordered the long-range missiles for its fleet of 26 Rafale-M fighter jets, which are expected to be delivered in early 2028.
During Operation Sindoor, the IAF deployed SCALP missiles from its Rafale fighter jets to target and destroy airbase hangars, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) storage units and military command centers across Pakistan.
How powerful are IAF’s SCALP missiles?
Designed and developed by European arms maker MBDA, the ‘Système de Croisière Autonome à Longue Portée’ (SCALP), also known as Storm Shadow missiles in the UK, is a stealthy, air-launched long-range cruise missile designed to penetrate heavily guarded airspace and strike high-value targets with surgical precision.
Boasting a range of over 560 km, the SCALP carries a dual-stage warhead, and is uses advanced navigation systems, including GPS, aerial enhanced guidance and geo-referenced navigation, to make precision strikes on its target with a circular error probable (CEP) of less than one meter.
How SCALP missiles devastated Pakistan during Op Sindoor?
According to Indian armed forces, SCALP missiles fired from Rafale jets destroyed nine terror bases as well as critical Pakistani military infrastructure such as airbase hangars housing fighter jets, UAV storage units housing drones supplied by China, and command centers, during the four-day long India-Pakistan war that followed Operation Sindoor.
IAF’s Rafale fighter jets fired SCALP missiles from standoff distances without stepping into the range of Pakistan’s air defense systems, and were able to deliver crippling strikes on enemy targets, they said.
The 560 km range of SCALP enabled India’s Rafales to strike enemy targets with deadly precision without the need to venture into contested airspace, while the stealth features of the missile made it highly difficult for enemy air defense system to track and intercept.
