DefenceNiti • Analysis
India’s Missile Arsenal: Powering the Tri-Services into the Future
India’s missile capability is the backbone of its defence strategy. From battlefield precision to long-range deterrence, missiles empower the Army, Navy, and Air Force to protect national interests across land, sea, and air. At the center of this transformation stands the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which has driven India’s shift from dependence on imports to indigenous innovation.
DRDO’s Role: From IGMDP to Today
The journey began with the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP), which produced the foundational family: Prithvi, Agni, Akash, Nag, and Trishul. Building on that base, DRDO—often with international collaboration—delivered systems like BrahMos and Astra, and advanced India’s ballistic-missile defence and hypersonic research.
Indian Army Missile Systems
- Agni series — Long-range ballistic missiles (≈700 km to 5,000+ km) underpinning strategic deterrence.
- Prithvi — Short-range ballistic missiles for precision strikes on battlefield targets.
- Nag & HELINA — Anti-tank guided missiles enhancing armour warfare effectiveness.
- Akash SAM — All-weather surface-to-air missile; newer variants improve accuracy and counter-jamming.
- Prahaar / Pralay — Tactical, quick-reaction precision strike missiles for time-sensitive targets.
Indian Navy Missile Systems
- BrahMos — Supersonic cruise missile (~300 km class) deployed on ships, submarines, and aircraft for land/sea strike.
- Sagarika (K-15) — Submarine-launched ballistic missile (~700 km) strengthening assured second-strike.
- Barak-8 — Indo-Israeli long-range SAM providing fleet-level air defence.
- Pralay — Tactical ballistic missile suited to coastal and maritime-theatre operations.
Indian Air Force Missile Systems
- Astra Mk-I / Mk-II — Indigenous beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles for air dominance.
- Meteor (via Rafale) — Extended-range BVR capability augmenting deterrence in the air.
- BrahMos-A — Air-launched cruise missile on Su-30MKI for deep precision strike.
- SCALP & HAMMER — Precision strike weapons integrated on Rafale.
- MRSAM — Medium-range ground-based air defence in IAF service (with the Army/Navy variants).
- Shaurya — Canisterised, high-speed surface-to-surface system for prompt strike roles.
Strategic Assets & Missile Defence
The Agni series remains India’s primary nuclear-capable deterrent, covering regional and extended ranges. Parallelly, India’s Ballistic Missile Defence effort—through interceptors like AD-1 and AD-2—aims to provide layered protection against incoming threats.
What’s Next: DRDO’s Pipeline
- HSTDV — Hypersonic technology demonstrator paving the way for Mach 6+ cruise missiles.
- BrahMos NG — Lighter, more maneuverable BrahMos for fighter jets and mobile launchers.
- Project Kusha — Indigenous multi-layered missile defence to complement systems like S-400.
- Nirbhay — Long-range subsonic cruise missile (~1,000 km) with low-observable features.
- IADWS — Integrated Air Defence Weapon System combining SAMs, VSHORAD and emerging directed-energy elements.
Why It Matters
India’s missile ecosystem reflects Atmanirbhar Bharat in action—pairing indigenous R&D with smart partnerships. Beyond safeguarding borders, these systems strengthen India’s status as an emerging defence exporter, with platforms like BrahMos and Akash already generating interest abroad.
Kudos to the Indian Armed forces for doing a wonderful job in Operation Sindoor ! Also, kudos to DRDO and other Defence industries for developing and delivering the latest state of the,art weapon systems. We must now proceed further and keep developing ,so that we are always prepared for any eventuality.