The Meteor air-to-air missile is just the latest in India’s world-class MBDA missile arsenal
By Vikas Gupta
Defence News of India, 26 Feb 22
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has used many fighter jet designers for the fighters in its fleet. The Rafale is the seventh type of fighter aircraft operated by the IAF. However, when it comes to missiles – which are the true firepower of a combat aircraft – the IAF has repeatedly called on MBDA for its air-to-air and air-to-surface missile requirements.
The latest example concerns the armament of the Rafale, the IAF’s latest fighter. It carries what MBDA calls a “truly game-changing set of MBDA weapons – the groundbreaking Meteor Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air missile, MICA air combat missile and air strike missile. SCALP depth”.
Three successive IAF chiefs have publicly stated that if the IAF had flown the Rafale with its MBDA missiles on the day the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) responded to the Balakote strikes, the IAF would have imposed a high cost to the PAF fleet.
Given MBDA’s long relationship with the IAF, few would dispute its statement on Saturday that “More [the last 50 years]… several tens of thousands of missiles designed by MBDA have been built in India and we continue to deepen and implement new programs.
Almost all major types of European combat aircraft carry one or more MBDA missiles. The Rafale – land and sea version – is armed with the Meteor, which is the longest range air-to-air missile in the world. This would allow the Rafale to fire a Meteor at enemy aircraft long before the enemy fighter could engage the Rafale.
According to MBDA: “The key to Meteor’s performance is its accelerator ramjet, active radar seeker and data link.” The ability to fly faster, longer, and maneuver more abruptly than other air-to-air missiles gives the Meteor a “zone of no escape” (the arc in which the target aircraft cannot escape the missile) several times larger than any of its competitors.
MBDA plans to display a full-scale Meteor missile at Defexpo 2022, March 10-13 in Gandhinagar.
IAF Rafales also carry the shorter-range MICA air-to-air missile. It is also installed on the IAF’s fleet of Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft as part of its ongoing upgrade program.
MBDA claims that the MICA is the only air-to-air missile in the world with two interoperable seekers – an active radar and an imaging infrared. This allows the MICA to be used in close air combat, fighter to fighter, as well as in the BVR role.
When fired in BVR mode, the MICA travels much of the distance to the enemy aircraft in passive mode, that is, without emitting radar waves, which alert the adversary. The seeker begins to radiate only in the later stages of its approach, when the enemy aircraft does not have time to perform evasive maneuvers or deploy effective countermeasures.
A third MBDA missile is the Short Range Advanced Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM), which MBDA says “is being delivered to the IAF as part of its Next Generation Close Combat Missile Program”, which will arm the fleet. IAF’s upgraded Jaguar, and potentially the Hawk advanced trainer. It is also part of the Gripen E weapon suite.
“With its large rocket engine and sleek aerodynamic design, the ASRAAM has unparalleled speed and resultant aerodynamic handling and range…that delivers superior late-game performance for visual range (WVR) air combat. says MBDA.
To strike ground targets, the IAF’s Rafales carry the French deep-strike cruise missile SCALP. This stealthy weapon can strike hardened and protected targets deep in enemy territory from remote distances, i.e. without the Rafale needing to enter hostile airspace, which could be heavily defended. with air defense missiles. The SCALP has the ability to create havoc at the target end, due to its powerful tandem warhead and multiple detonation modes.
The Mistral Man Portable Air Defense System (MANPADS) will also be on display at Defexpo 2022.
The Mistral has already been selected and integrated into India’s indigenous armed helicopters, including the Rudra and Light Combat Helicopters (LCH). Three versions of the Mistral will be on display at Gandhinagar: the helicopter-launched version, the very short-range air defense manpack version and a third version for naval warships.
Finally, MBDA sold India the Exocet SM39 anti-ship missile, which arms the Scorpène submarines. Another version, the Exocet AM39, can be launched from maritime patrol aircraft, combat aircraft such as the Rafale and medium to heavy helicopters.
