SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has embarked on a groundbreaking project with the development of the CATS Hunter, a sub-sonic air-launched cruise missile (ALCM) dubbed the “Desi SCALP,” designed to enhance the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) precision strike capabilities. According to sources close to idrw.org, this missile, with a range of 250–350 km, introduces a revolutionary swarm capability, enabling multiple missiles to interact, coordinate targets, and overwhelm enemy air defenses. This marks a significant leap in India’s indigenous defense technology, positioning the IAF to conduct complex, networked aerial operations with unprecedented efficiency.
The CATS Hunter, part of HAL’s Combat Air Teaming System (CATS) program, is a stealthy, sub-sonic cruise missile designed for launch from various IAF fighter jets, including the Su-30MKI, Rafale, and potentially the Tejas Mk1A and Mk2. Powered by the indigenous PTAE-7 turbojet engine, the missile boasts a low-observable design with a minimized radar cross-section (RCS), allowing it to skim just above the surface—evading enemy radar detection through terrain-hugging flight profiles. With a projected range of 250–350 km, the CATS Hunter extends the IAF’s reach, enabling deep strikes into enemy territory while keeping aircraft safely beyond the range of hostile air defenses.
What sets the CATS Hunter apart is its swarm capability, a first for an Indian missile system. According to informed sources close to idrw.org, the missile is engineered to interact with other CATS Hunter missiles, even when launched from different aircraft. This networked operation allows the missiles to coordinate in real-time, sharing data to overwhelm enemy air defenses and dynamically assign targets. Unlike traditional cruise missiles that require specific coordinates for each target, the CATS Hunter’s advanced onboard systems are pre-fed with multiple target options. The missiles autonomously decide which one will engage which target, eliminating the need for precise, pre-assigned coordinates and enhancing operational flexibility.
The CATS Hunter’s swarm functionality introduces a paradigm shift in aerial warfare. Sources informed idrw.org that the missiles can communicate mid-flight, ensuring optimal target allocation. If one missile is intercepted or destroyed, another seamlessly takes its place, ensuring mission continuity. Furthermore, if a missile successfully neutralizes its assigned target, the remaining missiles in the swarm can reassign themselves to other priority targets, maximizing the strike’s impact. This dynamic target coordination reduces redundancy and ensures that enemy air defenses are saturated, increasing the likelihood of mission success.
HAL earlier had claimed that the CATS Hunter will incorporate a unique reusability feature, allowing the missile to re-enter friendly airspace and land via parachute if its assigned targets have already been neutralized by other missiles in the swarm. This concept, revealed during the project’s early stages, aims to reduce costs and preserve assets for future missions. However, it remains unclear whether this feature will be retained in the production variant, as HAL has shifted focus toward enhancing the missile’s long-range and swarm capabilities, potentially prioritizing lethality over reusability.
The CATS Hunter’s compatibility with multiple IAF platforms addresses a key limitation of the French-made SCALP missile, which is restricted to the Rafale fleet. By enabling launches from a broader range of fighters, the CATS Hunter ensures that the IAF can deploy this capability across its squadrons, enhancing its operational reach. This versatility, combined with its swarm functionality, positions the CATS Hunter as a force multiplier, capable of executing complex missions with minimal risk to manned aircraft.
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