{"id":46567,"date":"2025-05-08T07:25:23","date_gmt":"2025-05-08T01:55:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=46567"},"modified":"2025-05-17T23:29:23","modified_gmt":"2025-05-17T17:59:23","slug":"indias-advanced-precision-weapons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/indias-advanced-precision-weapons\/","title":{"rendered":"India&#8217;s Advanced Precision Weapons: HAMMER, SCALP, BRAHMOS, and More"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>What\u2019s in Today\u2019s Article?<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Precision Guided Weapons India Latest News<\/li>\n<li>Precision Guided Munitions (PGMs)<\/li>\n<li>Cutting-Edge Precision Weapons in India\u2019s Military Arsenal<\/li>\n<li>Precision Guided Weapons India FAQs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Precision Guided Weapons India Latest News<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>India carried out <strong>Operation Sindoor<\/strong>, targeting 21 terror camps across nine locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in response to a recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>The Indian Armed Forces used precision strikes with niche-technology weapons and carefully chosen warheads to minimize collateral damage.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Although specific weapons were not disclosed, the military&#8217;s arsenal now includes advanced precision-guided long-range weapons and drones, such as loitering munitions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Precision Guided Munitions (PGMs)<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>PGMs, also called smart weapons or smart bombs, are missiles or bombs designed to accurately strike specific targets while minimizing collateral damage.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Key Features of PGMs<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Advanced Guidance Systems<\/strong>: PGMs use GPS, laser guidance, infrared sensors, or radar to track and hit targets precisely.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Mid-Flight Course Corrections<\/strong>: They can adjust their trajectory mid-air to account for weather, wind, or targeting errors.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Reduced Collateral Damage<\/strong>: By targeting with precision, PGMs limit harm to civilians and nearby infrastructure.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Increased Accuracy<\/strong>: They offer greater accuracy than unguided munitions, with a much smaller margin of error.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Versatile Deployment<\/strong>: PGMs can be launched from aircraft, ships, ground platforms, or UAVs, enhancing their operational flexibility.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Cutting-Edge Precision Weapons in India\u2019s Military Arsenal<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Two weeks after Pakistani terrorists killed 26 civilians in Pahalgam, India launched Operation Sindoor, conducting airstrikes on nine locations in Pakistan and PoK targeting terrorist infrastructure.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>The Indian Air Force (IAF) deployed Rafale jets, which used SCALP missiles for deep strikes and HAMMER missiles for medium-range precision targets.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>HAMMER<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>The <strong>HAMMER (Highly Agile and Manoeuvrable Munition Extended Range)<\/strong> is an air-to-ground precision-guided weapon system developed by Safran, a French aerospace and defence company.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Capabilities and Range<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>It has a range of up to 70 km and can be mounted on Rafale jets, as well as fitted to bombs and other guided systems, making it highly versatile for medium-range tactical operations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Advanced Features<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>The system is autonomous, resistant to jamming, and capable of being launched from low altitudes over rough terrain, allowing precision strikes against a wide range of targets.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>India\u2019s Procurement<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>India has procured several HAMMER systems in recent years to strengthen its aerial strike capabilities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>SCALP<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>SCALP-EG (Syst\u00e8me de Croisi\u00e8re Autonome \u00e0 Longue Port\u00e9e \u2014 Emploi G\u00e9n\u00e9ral), also known as Storm Shadow in the UK, is an air-launched cruise missile designed for long-range deep strike missions with stealth features.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Manufacturer and Range<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Developed by MBDA, a European multinational defence company, SCALP has a range of around 450 km and is capable of low-altitude flight, making it hard to detect.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Operational Versatility<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>It can be deployed at night and in all weather conditions, providing the Indian Air Force with high operational flexibility.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Advanced Navigation and Targeting<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>SCALP uses a combination of INS, GPS, and terrain referencing for navigation, allowing it to penetrate heavily fortified targets like bunkers and ammunition depots with high precision.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>METEOR: Next-Gen Air-to-Air Superiority<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>The Meteor is a Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) developed by MBDA, effective even in dense electronic warfare environments.<\/li>\n<li>It uses a solid-fuel \u2018ramjet\u2019 motor, providing continuous thrust and enabling the largest &#8216;No Escape Zone&#8217; among air-to-air missile systems.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>BRAHMOS: India\u2019s Supersonic Cruise Power<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>The BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile jointly developed by India\u2019s DRDO and Russia\u2019s NPO Mashinostroyeniya, and is operational in all three Indian defence services.<\/li>\n<li>It operates at speeds close to Mach 3, ensuring faster target engagement, low dispersion, and minimal interception risk.<\/li>\n<li>The missile follows a \u2018Fire and Forget\u2019 mode, with a cruising altitude of up to 15 km and terminal altitude as low as 10 metres, carrying a 200\u2013300 kg conventional warhead.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Loitering Munitions<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Loitering munitions are aerial weapons that combine surveillance and strike capabilities, allowing them to identify and engage targets with precision.<\/li>\n<li>These systems can be operated autonomously or manually, offering real-time intelligence and the ability to strike at the right moment.<\/li>\n<li>In recent years, the Indian Armed Forces have been actively procuring various types of drones, including loitering munitions, to enhance situational awareness and precision strike capabilities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Precision Guided Weapons India FAQs<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Q1.<\/strong> What are Precision Guided Munitions (PGMs)?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans.<\/strong> PGMs are smart weapons that use GPS, laser, or radar guidance for accurate strikes with minimal collateral damage.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q2.<\/strong> What is the range of the HAMMER missile?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans.<\/strong> The HAMMER missile has a range of up to 70 km and can be launched from Rafale jets or fitted to bombs.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q3.<\/strong> Why is SCALP missile hard to detect?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans.<\/strong> SCALP flies at low altitudes with stealth capabilities, making it difficult to detect and ideal for deep strikes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q4.<\/strong> What makes the METEOR missile unique?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans.<\/strong> METEOR uses a ramjet engine and has the largest \u201cNo Escape Zone\u201d in any air-to-air missile system.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q5.<\/strong> What are loitering munitions?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans. <\/strong>Loitering munitions combine surveillance and strike capabilities, allowing autonomous or manual precision targeting using real-time intelligence.<\/p>\n<p>\n<strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/operation-sindoor-precision-guided-long-range-weapons-in-indian-militarys-arsenal-9989366\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">IE<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/economictimes.indiatimes.com\/news\/new-updates\/scalp-hammer-missiles-kamikaze-drones-how-india-used-precision-weapons-to-punish-pakistan-under-operation-sindoor\/articleshow\/120948968.cms?from=mdr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">ET<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Explore India&#8217;s cutting-edge precision weapons like SCALP, HAMMER, METEOR, and BRAHMOS used in Operation Sindoor to strike terror camps with pinpoint accuracy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":46568,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-46567","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46567","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46567"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46567\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46568"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46567"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46567"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46567"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}