SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
The Indian Navy’s Rafale M, a variant of the Rafale fighter jet designed for carrier operations, will come equipped with the French-built Exocet anti-ship missile. However, the Exocet’s relatively short range of just 70 kilometres has prompted the Navy to explore additional options for more potent anti-ship capabilities. This includes the integration of locally developed anti-ship missiles that offer significantly longer ranges and enhanced capabilities to counter modern naval threats.
The Exocet missile, despite its legacy as a reliable anti-ship weapon, has come under scrutiny for its limited range. With only 70 kilometres of reach, the Exocet is vulnerable to the increasing sophistication of modern warships equipped with long-range air defence systems. These systems are designed to intercept and destroy incoming threats, including fighter jets launching missiles from relatively close distances. For the Indian Navy, this raises concerns about the survivability of Rafale M jets if they rely solely on the Exocet for anti-ship missions.
To address these concerns, the Indian Navy is keen to integrate longer-range anti-ship missiles into its Rafale M fleet. Two Indian-developed missile systems have caught the Navy’s attention: the BrahMos-NG (Next Generation) and the NASM-MR (Medium Range Anti-Ship Missiles).
The BrahMos-NG is a smaller, more agile version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, designed for aircraft deployment. Currently, under development for the Indian Air Force, the BrahMos-NG has gained significant interest from the Indian Navy due to its 290-kilometre range and its ability to cruise at speeds of Mach 3.5, making it an ideal choice for long-range anti-ship missions. This extended range would allow the Rafale M to strike enemy ships from a safe distance, well outside the reach of most ship-based air defence systems, significantly enhancing the strike capabilities of the Indian Navy.
Another indigenous missile under development is the NASM-MR (Medium Range Anti-Ship Missiles), which is being designed specifically for naval use. This system, once fully operational, will offer the Navy a potent anti-ship weapon with improved range and versatility compared to the Exocet. Though still in development, the NASM-MR promises to be a key asset for the Rafale M, providing it with enhanced strike flexibility against a variety of naval targets.
The combination of BrahMos-NG and NASM-MR alongside the Exocet missile will greatly expand the anti-ship weaponry available to the Indian Navy’s Rafale M fleet. While the Exocet will remain a part of the Navy’s arsenal, the indigenous solutions provide the Navy with the capability to target enemy warships from longer distances, giving the Rafale M an edge in complex naval combat scenarios.
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