As UK-Made Storm Shadow Flunks in Ukraine, India Sees SCALP Missiles As Modifiable
Given how many Storm Shadow missiles of British-origin have been shot down in Ukraine, there is at present a lively discussion in the media about the advantages of Russian weapons over Western ones.
SputnikIndian military veterans are leading the march in encouraging the country to modify its French-manufactured SCALP missiles according to what it needs should a conflict with China and Pakistan erupt.
Their optimism came after Russian military suggested New Delhi consider deploying the missiles on the Indian Air Force's (IAF) Rafale jets.
The comments came in response to a Moscow-based military analyst's remarks after the Russian success against British-origin Storm Shadow missiles that Ukraine has deployed against Russian Armed Forces in the ongoing conflict.
Defense Expert Touts Automatic Target Engagement of Russian Systems
Acccoring to Alexei Leonkov, a Russian defence specialist and editor of Arsenal Otechestva (Arsenal of the Fatherland), Moscow's recent success against the Storm missiles demonstrated that India's SCALP missiles (the French variant of the Storm Shadow on its Dassault Rafale fighter jets) can be easily neutralised in a war scenario if New Delhi's adversary were to use Russian-built missiles.
"It is important to note that both India and China have some of Russia's newest systems, including the S-400. If China were to buy Russian the Buk-M2E or Tor-M2E systems, the SCALP cruise missile would pose no threat to them. They would detect and intercept them regardless of their actions," Leonkov told Sputnik on Tuesday.
According to Leonkov, the technology of reduced radar cross-section works within a certain range, which is in effect covered by the majority of foreign anti-aircraft missile and defence systems.
"Russian complexes, on the other hand, work with a slightly different technology, using active phased array antennas with sensors operating in several frequency bands," the Russian expert explained.
He pointed out that as a result, they can accurately select and detect targets, automatically transmit target coordinates and intercept them effectively. It should be noted that the Buk-M2E and Tor-M2E systems are capable of automatic target engagement.
India Can Rely on Other Modifications, Ex-Army Officer Says
In a conversation with Sputnik, New Delhi-based defence analyst, Major General (Retd) PK Sehgal, noted that each military-industrial complex wanted to be the bigger seller.
Russia has Kinzhal missiles that fly at 10 times the speed of sound and can penetrate any air defence system.
"However, India has the technology and the competence to modify the software to make the SCALP missile easier to manoeuvre and also make it more ECM-oriented where Electronic Countermeasures can be put in to fool the Chinese air-defence systems. The Chinese air defence systems are well known to us, their competence and capabilities are known to us, the technological advances that China is making are well known to us," Sehgal underlined.
He asserted that India has the competence and, if required, the IAF will modify the SCALP's software to make sure that the missile cannot be intercepted with ease by the Chinese under any circumstances.
"We have already purchased a large number of these missiles, and they are easily among the best of their kind available in the world today," Sehgal summed up.
IAF officer (Retd) Kapil Kak echoed Sehgal's sentiments as he explained to Sputnik that SCALP missiles were specific to the Indian Air Force and were delivered acording to the requirements of the force.
Lt Colonel (Retd) JS Sodhi, however, supported the idea of examining the deployment of the SCALP missiles.
Sodhi explained that having seen how various weapon systems have performed in the ongoing Russia- Ukraine conflict, India should carefully evaluate and examine the deployment of SCALP-EG missiles on its Dassault Rafale fighter jets.
He believes these missiles would play a very important role in any combat in the future.
"India is in a very precarious geopolitical location where it has enemy nations on its northern, eastern, and western borders. Hence, such a weapon system would be critical in case India has to go to war in the future," he concluded.