Skip to main content

Thanks to MTCR Membership, India can arm all its Fighters with the World's Best Missiles


Leveraging its status as a member of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), India is very keen on arming its Mirage 2000 aircraft with the best-in-their-class long- range meteor missiles, claims reports.

After Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman chased the F-16s of Pakistan on his MiG 21 Bison, and shot one down with his R-73 and R-77 missiles, during the dogfight on 27 February soon after IAF attacked the Balakot terror camps, the necessity to equip more of our fighter jets with long-range missiles is being felt.

Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi promptly went on to say, “The whole nation is feeling the need to have Rafales at the moment. Had we possessed Rafales in our inventory, the result would have been different” at an event organised soon after the unfolding of hostilities between the two countries.



In a move to maintain absolute air superiority over its hostile western neighbour, the IAF is going to have a combination of BrahMos NG, Astra, Israeli Derby, Meteor and SCALP missiles among others on its front line combat aircraft. India is working hard with the makers of Meteor missiles to equip them to the indigenously developed Tejas LCAs to make them more lethal. The three squadrons of Mirage 2000s are now getting upgraded extensively.

The 36 Rafales India is buying as of now, will be equipped with the Meteors and SCALP missiles, thus envisaging an edge over its two hostile neighbours in the west and north. As China is not a member of MTCR, it does not have any missiles in its armory that can match the Meteors, at least as of now.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Explained: What is Army Aviation Corps, the youngest Corps of the Indian Army

A look at the Army Aviation Corps’ history and its relevance in modern day battlefields, including in Counter Insurgency and Counter Terrorism (CI-CT) operations. Representative Image The Army Aviation Corps (AAC), the youngest Corps of the Indian Army, celebrated its 35th Corps Day on November 1. We take a look at the arm that adds an air dimension to the Army’s capabilities, its history, and its relevance in modern day battlefields, including Counter Insurgency and Counter Terrorism (CI-CT) operations. The roots of Army Aviation Corps The origin of the AAC can be traced back to the raising of the Army Aviation wing of the Royal Air Force in India in 1942, and the subsequent formation of the first Indian Air Observation Post in August 1947. The Air Observation Post units primarily acted as artillery spotters – which are the elements that help the artillery in directing the fire and also giving air support to ground forces. In the wars of 1965 and 1971, the Air Observation Post helicop...

That time when India took half of Pakistan to make it pay for a motorcycle

In 1947, British officer Yahya Khan offered his colleague 1,000 rupees for his spiffy red motorcycle. His colleague, Sam Manekshaw, agreed. But before Khan could pay, he was off to what was going to become Pakistan. The British split its Indian colony, and things on the subcontinent have been pretty tense ever since. To top it all off, Yahya Khan didn't pay for the motorbike. But he would, even if it took almost 25 years. The Partition of India was much more than the splitting of the British Raj into two independent states. It was a catastrophic split that tore apart the country and created millions of refugees, cost millions of lives, and split the armed forces of the country in two, all based on religion. Violence erupted almost immediately between the two groups on such a large scale that much of it has never been forgotten or forgiven. Animosity continued between both sides for decades, and the two have fought war after war because of the myriad issues left unaddressed. By 1970...

Explained: India-US defence deals - BECA, LEMOA & COMCASA

At 2+2 meeting next week, the two countries will look to push intelligence sharing pact BECA . With key deals LEMOA and COMCASA already signed, what does it mean for defence, particularly in light of LAC standoff? India and US have signed the LEMOA in 2016, COMCASA in 2018 and BECA is scheduled for the third 2+2 ministerial meeting (on November 3rd) India and the US are preparing for the third 2+2 ministerial meeting between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh , and US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and Defense Secretary Mark T Esper in New Delhi on October 26-27. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen E Biegun visited India last week to lay the groundwork for the high-level visits 2+2 in 2018. One of the items on the agenda will be the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) — a pact with deep military implications. In the last two meetings, agreements known as LEMOA and COMCASA were signed; now, with BECA, these have been dubbed the ...