SOURCE: DEEPAK HILORI/ FOR MY TAKE / IDRW.ORG
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) working on the development of an Extended Range Air Defense System (ERADS) is well documented and recently it has been confirmed that the new missile systems will have two interceptor missiles, ERSAM that likely will be the Indian version of the Barak-ER and will have a range of 150km against fighter aircraft and other aerial targets that will work with the XRSAM that will be used to neutralize force multipliers like AWACS, Aerial Tankers and Transport aircraft.
Each firing unit of ERADS will have a set of four launchers with a pair of ERSAM and XRSAM Interceptor missiles system along with one search and track radar in s-band and one fire control radar in X-band and a mast-mounted radar in X-band for low flying target tracking.
These Interceptor missiles will be tipped with RF active homing head to acquire better accuracies in the terminal phase and will work in air defense connected networks with other indigenously developed air defense systems like Akash-NG (70km), MR-SAM (90km), QRSAM, and Akash (25-35km) air defense systems.
ERSAM and XRSAM Interceptor missiles will be India’s long-range and Very long-range air defense interceptor missiles that will complement the recently acquired Russian S-400 air defense system along. While ERADS won’t be replacing S-400 systems in the Indian defense forces it will help India develop next-generation air defense interceptor missiles that can tackle growing threats of hypersonic cruise missiles.