Air-to-air missiles have changed the way the world looks at air wars. In times of war the air force having better missiles will always have an edge over its adversaries. These awesome technological achievements have evolved into mean killers, some capable hitting targets flying as far as 400 KMS away. There are lots of categories in air-to-air weaponry. From plain old bullets to long range active radar guided missiles. Let’s explore the coolest amongst these.
Guided missiles are intelligent rockets which can actually “chase down” its target. In the sense, an intended target cannot escape a missile by just moving away from its path (like the way ‘Neo’ dodges bullets in The Matrix). Guided missiles ‘lock on’ to the target based on information provided to it by the aircraft that launches the missile. Guided missiles have on-board computers that guide the missiles to its target. These computers take inputs fed to it by on-board sensors. These sensors may work on heat signatures or radar signatures. Missiles which work on heat signatures look for the heat emitted by the aircraft from its engines and heat produced by the air-friction on the aircraft surface. Radar guided missiles work by bouncing radar beams off the target aircraft. Sometimes the aircraft that launched the missile acts as the source for the radar beams and in certain cases the missile itself acts as the source of the radar beam required to track the target. This gives us the basic categorization of missiles. If the missile guides itself based on some information (heat signatures) from the target, they are termed passively guided missiles. Missiles guided using radar are either active or semi active means. In active mode of guidance the missile carries its own radar source. In semi-active mode, the missile will rely on the firing aircraft’s radar as a source of guidance. The firing aircraft bounces the radar beams of the target which is picked up by the missile.
Once the missile gets close enough, the missile detonates the warhead that it carries with it. The warhead is usually a high-explosive, high fragment warhead. This means that the missile need not actually hit the target to destroy it, it just needs to fly close enough so that the target comes within the ‘lethal radius’ (or the kill area) of the missile, then the missile’s fuse swings into action. Missiles usually carry a proximity fuse (Laser/Radar) which constantly monitors the missiles proximity to the target. Once when the missile detects that the target is within the kill area, it detonates the warhead. The high-fragment warhead is loaded with titanium fragments, which can rip through the aircrafts body damaging it physically and aerodynamically. Modern missiles carry fuses that can change its mode. The onboard computer decides upon the mode by keeping track of the targets maneuverability. If the computer decides that the missile is going to score a direct hit, it switches on the impact fuse. The impact fuse will detonate the warhead only after the missile hits the target. If the target is maneuvering a bit and the on board computer may decide that the best fuse to use would be a proximity fuse
Many countries have set benchmarks in air-to-air missile technologies.
AIM-120 AMRAAM:
AIM is an American designation given for air-to-air missiles. AIM stands for Air Interceptor Missile. AMRAAM stands for Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile. This missile incorporates active guidance and has a range of 75 KMS which gives the missile a very good beyond-visual-range combat capability. It also incorporates active radar in conjunction with an inertial reference unit and micro-computer system, which makes the missile less dependent upon the fire-control system of the aircraft. This means that the missile works more or less on its own to track down and destroying the target. This mode gets engaged when the missile is fired from close ranges to the target. If the target is beyond visual range, then the missile will require intermediate updates from the firing aircraft. The AMRAAM has proven on many occasions its worth to its operators. The AMRAAM is in use mostly in those forces which operate US made fighters. Once during routine testing the AMRAAM is set to have completely destroyed a test drone without even having a proper warhead!! Now that is reliability!!
AIM-54 Phoenix:
The AIM-54 is a long-range radar guided air-to-air missile. This missile is guided semi-actively. Semi-active would mean that the missile is dependent on the firing aircraft for guidance for a certain period of time, after that the active seeker head in the missile swings in to action making the missile completely independent of the firing aircraft. The missile was intended to be used against the fast and high flying soviet aircraft, especially the mighty MiG-25 Foxbat. The Phoenix has an awesome range of 180 KMS. The Phoenix is mounted on the F-14 Tomcats. An F-14 can carry six of these missiles and they can be launched almost simultaneously. The missile works by rapidly gaining altitude using the incredible kinetic energy provided by its thrusters and then dives in to home on its target. The missile because of its ‘semi-active’ nature will require mid course updates on its target. So that would mean that if the aircraft that fired the missile is unable to give updates to the missile, the missile becomes useless. That is the only glitch in operating missiles of this type.
AIM-9 Sidewinder:
The AIM-9 Sidewinder is a short-range air-to-air missile. This missile is used by fighter pilots to take out targets at closer ranges. The missile has a range of about 25 KMS. The missile has a IR seeker head which controls the guidance of the missile. The missile is completely on its own after firing and home in on its target by using the heat produced by the aircraft’s exhaust and the heat produced on the body of the aircraft due to air friction. The missile is quite reliable in terms of target kills. The missile has now been modified so that it can be mounted on helicopters also. If the target is not making tight maneuvers, the Sidewinder can go right through the exhaust pipe of the aircraft, destroying the aircraft from the inside. Previously heat-seeking missiles were able to lock-on to target in a tail- chase scenario, but now the guidance technologies have improved so much that targets can be engaged no matter what the directions of the target is. The Sidewinder has undergone constant improvement and lots of new variants have come up. One such improvement is the AIM-9X Sidewinder. This missile has an improved range and has vectored thrust systems which enable the missile to take tight turns to get the aircraft within its crosshairs. The AIM-9s are also among the oldest of missiles remaining in active service. The AIM-9 is also very versatile. With minimal modifications the sidewinder can be mounted on helicopters. The AIM-9’s design and guidance is also one of the most copied. Many nations including the Soviet Union tried to copy the design of the AIM-9 but could only meet with limited success. The AIM-9 remains one of the widely used weapons in modern day warfare.
Python-5:
Here comes the Israeli Python-5. Powered by one of the most ingenious guidance and locking systems, the Python-5 is one of the deadliest short range air-to-air missiles. The Python-5 uses a revolutionary LOAL technology. LOAL stands for LOck After Launch. This technology defies the conventional method of launching missiles. Conventionally the missiles are launched with the information about the target already transferred to it. Python-5 completely defies that logic and has an altogether new approach to locking on to its target. Conventional methods of firing would require the target to be within the crosshairs of the firing aircraft before unleashing the missile, but with LOAL technology, Python-5 can be fired in the direction of the target and quickly get out of harm’s way. . The missile has an advanced electro-optical imaging seeker that scans the target area for hostile aircraft, then locks-on for terminal chase and has a range of around 20 KMS. This missile is unarguably one of the best dog fighting missiles. It is one of the few missiles that can keep coasting along even after its rocket motor is spent using its extremely efficient aerodynamic characteristics. It has complex algorithms which are put to use in its on-board computers that enable it to hit the cockpit/belly of the aircraft to make sure that the target does not survive the hit. That makes the Python-5 one hell of a weapon for the air warrior.
R-77 Adder:
The R-77 Adder is a Russian medium/long-range air-to-air missile with active radar guidance used for the terminal phase of the missile’s flight. The Russians claim that the ‘Adder’ can hit anything from low-flying cruise missiles to motionless objects like a helicopter. The missile has a range of over 100 KMS and a certain version (R-77 M1) is believed to have ranges of over 170 KMS. This missile was primarily used by the Russian forces to counter threats at long ranges. This missile is capable of withstanding around 12 Gs of forces. This would mean that the missile is capable of taking really tight turns to hit the target. This missile has not been put to use yet in battle to know its real might. Theoretically it’s an extremely capable missile which is superior even to the mighty AIM-120 AMRAAM in certain aspects. This missile forms the mainstay of the Indian Air Force’s long range air defence.
R-73 Archer:
One of the deadliest missiles ever to grace the wing of any aircraft would be the R-73 aptly named by NATO as the ‘Archer’. The R-73 is the most modern of all Russian missiles. The R-73 is a heat-seeking missile with a sensitive, cryogenic cooled seeker with a substantial "off-bore sight" capability: the seeker can "see" targets up to 60° off the missile's centerline. It can be linked to a helmet-mounted sight (HMS), allowing pilots to designate targets by looking at them. Minimum engagement range is about 300 meters, with maximum aerodynamic range of nearly 30 km (18.75 mi) at altitude. “Off-bore sight” becomes important because of the fact that pilots and the planes would be put under extreme pressure and strain to keep a maneuvering target within its bore sight. With HMS the pilot can just look at the target, lock on to it and fire the missile. The Archer also incorporates a highly efficient thrust vectoring system which will enable the missile to take extremely tight turns and take out its target. The R-73 RDM2 has an extended range of 40 KMS, which means the Archer is no longer restricted to dogfights. The R-73 incorporates complex algorithms in its on-board guidance system which enables it to target the middle of the aircraft to ensure that crippling injuries can be delivered to the target. When coupled with the right aircraft (like the Sukhoi-30MKI) the missile can attack a chasing aircraft. In such a scenario the missile is fired normally but flips 180 degrees to lock on to the chaser. There are very few other missiles which can be compared to the unstoppable Archer!
R-33 Amos:
The R-33 Amos is a long range air-to-air missile. It has a range of over 160 KMS. This missile was built to be carried exclusively by the mighty MiG-31 Foxhound. The missile is so large that even the MiG-31 can carry only one of these monsters. The missile has a very heavy warhead (around 50 Kg) that would make sure that when it detonates, nothing in the vicinity survives. The Soviets were constantly troubled by the high flying American SR-71s (The fastest aircraft in the world) and they tailor made the R-33s for taking out the SR-71s. There has been an instance, during the heights of the cold war, when a SR-71 was almost nailed by the R-33. The SR-71 ran into a bunch of charging MiG-31s and had to scramble for safety. The MiGs it seemed had the SR-71 locked on, but before they could fire the target crossed into international airspace. Others in the hit-list of the R-33 included the B-1 and the B-52 bombers. The "Zaslon" phased array radar of MiG-31 is the core of the new aerial interception system. The radar system was so robustly built that no electronic counter measure could jam the radar. This made an awesome combination for the Russians. But the R-33 has never been into combat and it still waits for its day of gleaming and fiery glory.
Novator R-172:
It is always a known fact that Russians always opt for brute force. But reading about this missile will give you some idea as to what they guys mean by brute force. The Novator R-172 is an extremely long-range missile designed for a maximum range of 400 KMS (Ouch!). It used a two-stage rocket engine with a flight speed of about Mach 4 ( for beginners, Mach 4 is 4 times the speed of sound and the speed of sound being ~ 1180 KMPH). The R-172 flies to the vicinity of the target by inertial navigation, and then activates its own active radar for terminal homing. No doubt, the R-172 has been baying for the blood of the SR-71. The R-172’s hit list included high value targets like AWACS (Air-borne warning and Control systems, essentially a flying radar), air-borne tankers etc.
The range and the speed remove the need to engage the aircrafts escorting the high value targets. An enhanced version is also under consideration, the objective: to take out spy satellites! Unfortunately due to poor funding this project is not taking off. But Russia is in discussion with an external partner to revive this program by getting into joint development. Any guesses who the partner is? It is India!
The Astra:
The Astra is India’s first indigenous air-to-air missile. The missile reportedly has a range of over 80 KMS which makes it a missile for BVR (Beyond Visual Range) engagement. The missile was tested without control and guidance systems some time in 2003. Development work is on in full swing. When fully operational, the Astra will arm the SU-30MKI, the LCA, MiG-29s and the Mirage-2000s in the IAF. DRDO is working on building an advanced Laser/Radar fuse for Astra to make the missile more reliable.
That's it for now. Some of the well known missiles for your information... Watch this space for more!
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Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Thursday, December 02, 2004
The Kargil War
India is the world's largest democracy. India has come a long way from being a poverty-stricken third world giant to a regional superpower. The advance is nothing short of brilliant. India has fought many wars after its independence. India now has a huge military and it is the third largest in the world.One such experience was the kargil episode which snowballed into a small scale war between pakistani intruders backed by the pakistani army and the Indian military. This particular war is one of its kind. This war was fought on high altitudes. Victory in adverse conditions made the victory sweeter.The Indian military has learnt many a lesson from this episode.In this article i have put together some of the highlights of the most recent war fought by India.
The year 1999 was a turning point for India. It was time for the world to take notice of India. Till then India was to most of the countries was a ‘moderate’, a peace loving country, which will never interfere in other countries’ internal affairs unless and until requested. The Pakistanis took this as an advantage and decided that time was ripe to avenge the fall of siachen. Pakistan was all set to engage India for another war. But it could not afford to take on India directly as the asymmetry between the two was heavily in favor of India. Pakistan decided to invade India covertly. The Indian state was also in some kind of turmoil. The weak coalition government was toppled and elections were soon to be held. The Pakistanis would’ve never got a better opportunity to strike. In the guise of a mujahideen war Pakistan readied itself for a confrontation with India. The sole aim of the Pakistanis, according to the indian intelligence agencies was to capture the national highway which connects the remote parts of Kashmir to the rest of India. It is widely believed that Pakistan was planning to ask for siachen in return for the highway. The Pakistani intruders were well prepared for the mission. The task was simple. Occupy the Indian ridges and hold them as long as they can. The locals reported strange activities around the mountains and soldiers were sent to make sure that things were alright. The soldiers thought that this could be just another pesky intruder, but it turned out to be more sinister than that. terrorists lured the soldiers into a trap and brutally murdered them. The higher officials were shaken but they still were not aware of the grave situation that was about to threaten the nation’s sovereignty.
The military establishment was growing suspicious day by day with the growing enemy activity. Many soldiers who were sent to check out the ridges never returned. The firing from across the border became more and more accurate. This could only mean that artillery spotters were present on the mountain facing the highway. Hmm..terrorists with precision artillery strike capabilities.. you gotta be kiddin!!! That was something that could not be done without pakistani armies support. Finally intrusions were confirmed. The kargil war had begun. It was time for India to flex its military muscle. It was decided among the top echelons of the political leadership that neither Indian military personnnel nor aircraft would cross the LOC. A decision that was widely applauded by the world community. I just cannot think of any other country which would have applied so much restraint on itself. India had all the rights to launch a full scale retaliation. A full blown assault across the LOC was fully within the capability of India and this restaint blostered India's image in the global arena. Initially during the war the 'intruders' had the upper hand. The army sustained severe loss of men. This was mainly due to the unfriendly terrain. The army decided to call in the Indian Air Force. Only usage of attack helicopters was cleared at first. Then use of ground attack aircrafts was later cleared. Due to the high altitude the IAF could not use the mighty Mi-35 ( known as Akbar in IAF)attack helicopter. So Mi-8s were modified to fire rockets and were deployed. The IAF had to face one more problem. The whole area was strewn with man portable SAMs, especially the American made stingers. These were very effective against helicopters. Two MiGs were also lost. This made the IAF undertake unconventional methods to tackle the situation. Due to the strict conditions put in place by the government the strike aircrafts were not even allowed to cross the LOC for completing a turn after a bombing run. It was decided that the IAF would use the formidable Mirage-2000 multirole fighters which can fly in extreme conditions with admirable ease.
The entry of the Mirages changed the entire scenario. On a typical mission during the Kargil war, 6 Mirages would fly from the base armed with precision guided ammo. One among them would be a 2-seater, a trainer which had a laser designating pod and the rest, armed to the teeth. As the first bombs were released in anger the troops watching the action from below cheered. It would have been a great sight indeed, the sight of huge plumes of fire and smoke rising as the bombs hit the targets with pin-point accuracy. The morale of the troops had been repaired. They were ready to take back what rightly belonged to them. The Indian government recognized the seriousness of the issue and gave the go ahead to use all possible conventional weapons against the enemies. Thus came in the formidable bofors guns. This also paved way for the usage of the indigenously developed Pinaka, the multi barrel rocket launcher. With these the army was all set to bludgeon the 'intruders'.
The operations conducted by the IAF and the Indian army were nothing short of awesome. The planes had to negotiate a tough terrain. Even if the bombs miss the target by a few feet it might miss the mountain as most of the targets were at the exact peaks. But in case of plains even if the target was missed by a few feet considerable damage can be inflicted upon the target. The IAF used MiG-29s to provide air cover for the Mirages. It is known that a few Pakistani F-16s were loitering near the LOC but were kept at bay by the MiG-29s. The IAF says that they had the F-16s in their crosshairs just in case they tried to intercept the charging Mirages. The F-16s did not dare to intercept the Mirages, as it would mean a direct involvement of the Pakistani military.
After the bombing runs, a ferocious and a punishing hand-to-hand combat ensued. One of the captured Pakistani soldiers reportedly said that the Indians went mad after the initial set back. The Indian troops after some initial setbacks were raring to have a go at the enemy. That was exactly what enemy got. The Indian army mopped up the enemies just as it was expected out of them.
After coming to know that the Indians had almost mowed down all the intruders, the then incumbent prime minister of Pakistan Mr. Nawaz shariff left for Washington in a huff to coax the American president to stop the Indian assault. The American president responded to his request and pressurized India to stop the assault. India finally provided safe passage to the remaining intruders.
This type of reaction was totally unexpected from the ‘moderate’ Indians. Pakistan learnt a lesson it would never forget: never ever directly confront India militarily. The rest of the world had no other option but to sit up and take notice. India’s military might was put on show during the Kargil operations. India stamped its authority in south Asia. One thing has been proved by this episode: you push a man too far, sooner or later he will start pushing back. India after being pushed back for so long gave a firm push to Pakistan. And it widely reported that people across the LOC still live with fear that one day the Indians may avenge kargil. But I know, we know, everyone knows that India will never play a role of an aggressor. There is a saying which goes like this:Strive for peace but be prepared for war. India was not expecting its neighbor to do such backstabbing. But India recovered from the setback and chased out the pakistanis and beyond everyone's belief contained its anger and restrained herself from crossing over the border to teach the invaders a lesson. It is well known that thogh India did not want to cross the border, it was quite ready to overwhelm and pummel pakistan if required.
When someone decides to meddle with your country’s sovereignty, you have to teach them a lesson which will remain in their minds for generations.
Thus ended the Kargil conflict with the provision of safe passage to the rest of the intruders. The Indian military will never be the same again. The key to success is to learn from past mistakes. India had to learn lessons the hard way, always. The kargil episode definitely played a major role in India becoming the world leading arms purchaser. Pakistan needs to learn some bitter lessons. But she refuses to do so. I am sure the Indian leadership will be more than happy to end the hostile relation with Pak. But pakistan continues to fuel cross-border terror. If Pakistan can ask India to forget the Kargil episode, pakistan should be ready to drop the idealogy of cross border terrorism.
The year 1999 was a turning point for India. It was time for the world to take notice of India. Till then India was to most of the countries was a ‘moderate’, a peace loving country, which will never interfere in other countries’ internal affairs unless and until requested. The Pakistanis took this as an advantage and decided that time was ripe to avenge the fall of siachen. Pakistan was all set to engage India for another war. But it could not afford to take on India directly as the asymmetry between the two was heavily in favor of India. Pakistan decided to invade India covertly. The Indian state was also in some kind of turmoil. The weak coalition government was toppled and elections were soon to be held. The Pakistanis would’ve never got a better opportunity to strike. In the guise of a mujahideen war Pakistan readied itself for a confrontation with India. The sole aim of the Pakistanis, according to the indian intelligence agencies was to capture the national highway which connects the remote parts of Kashmir to the rest of India. It is widely believed that Pakistan was planning to ask for siachen in return for the highway. The Pakistani intruders were well prepared for the mission. The task was simple. Occupy the Indian ridges and hold them as long as they can. The locals reported strange activities around the mountains and soldiers were sent to make sure that things were alright. The soldiers thought that this could be just another pesky intruder, but it turned out to be more sinister than that. terrorists lured the soldiers into a trap and brutally murdered them. The higher officials were shaken but they still were not aware of the grave situation that was about to threaten the nation’s sovereignty.
The military establishment was growing suspicious day by day with the growing enemy activity. Many soldiers who were sent to check out the ridges never returned. The firing from across the border became more and more accurate. This could only mean that artillery spotters were present on the mountain facing the highway. Hmm..terrorists with precision artillery strike capabilities.. you gotta be kiddin!!! That was something that could not be done without pakistani armies support. Finally intrusions were confirmed. The kargil war had begun. It was time for India to flex its military muscle. It was decided among the top echelons of the political leadership that neither Indian military personnnel nor aircraft would cross the LOC. A decision that was widely applauded by the world community. I just cannot think of any other country which would have applied so much restraint on itself. India had all the rights to launch a full scale retaliation. A full blown assault across the LOC was fully within the capability of India and this restaint blostered India's image in the global arena. Initially during the war the 'intruders' had the upper hand. The army sustained severe loss of men. This was mainly due to the unfriendly terrain. The army decided to call in the Indian Air Force. Only usage of attack helicopters was cleared at first. Then use of ground attack aircrafts was later cleared. Due to the high altitude the IAF could not use the mighty Mi-35 ( known as Akbar in IAF)attack helicopter. So Mi-8s were modified to fire rockets and were deployed. The IAF had to face one more problem. The whole area was strewn with man portable SAMs, especially the American made stingers. These were very effective against helicopters. Two MiGs were also lost. This made the IAF undertake unconventional methods to tackle the situation. Due to the strict conditions put in place by the government the strike aircrafts were not even allowed to cross the LOC for completing a turn after a bombing run. It was decided that the IAF would use the formidable Mirage-2000 multirole fighters which can fly in extreme conditions with admirable ease.
The entry of the Mirages changed the entire scenario. On a typical mission during the Kargil war, 6 Mirages would fly from the base armed with precision guided ammo. One among them would be a 2-seater, a trainer which had a laser designating pod and the rest, armed to the teeth. As the first bombs were released in anger the troops watching the action from below cheered. It would have been a great sight indeed, the sight of huge plumes of fire and smoke rising as the bombs hit the targets with pin-point accuracy. The morale of the troops had been repaired. They were ready to take back what rightly belonged to them. The Indian government recognized the seriousness of the issue and gave the go ahead to use all possible conventional weapons against the enemies. Thus came in the formidable bofors guns. This also paved way for the usage of the indigenously developed Pinaka, the multi barrel rocket launcher. With these the army was all set to bludgeon the 'intruders'.
The operations conducted by the IAF and the Indian army were nothing short of awesome. The planes had to negotiate a tough terrain. Even if the bombs miss the target by a few feet it might miss the mountain as most of the targets were at the exact peaks. But in case of plains even if the target was missed by a few feet considerable damage can be inflicted upon the target. The IAF used MiG-29s to provide air cover for the Mirages. It is known that a few Pakistani F-16s were loitering near the LOC but were kept at bay by the MiG-29s. The IAF says that they had the F-16s in their crosshairs just in case they tried to intercept the charging Mirages. The F-16s did not dare to intercept the Mirages, as it would mean a direct involvement of the Pakistani military.
After the bombing runs, a ferocious and a punishing hand-to-hand combat ensued. One of the captured Pakistani soldiers reportedly said that the Indians went mad after the initial set back. The Indian troops after some initial setbacks were raring to have a go at the enemy. That was exactly what enemy got. The Indian army mopped up the enemies just as it was expected out of them.
After coming to know that the Indians had almost mowed down all the intruders, the then incumbent prime minister of Pakistan Mr. Nawaz shariff left for Washington in a huff to coax the American president to stop the Indian assault. The American president responded to his request and pressurized India to stop the assault. India finally provided safe passage to the remaining intruders.
This type of reaction was totally unexpected from the ‘moderate’ Indians. Pakistan learnt a lesson it would never forget: never ever directly confront India militarily. The rest of the world had no other option but to sit up and take notice. India’s military might was put on show during the Kargil operations. India stamped its authority in south Asia. One thing has been proved by this episode: you push a man too far, sooner or later he will start pushing back. India after being pushed back for so long gave a firm push to Pakistan. And it widely reported that people across the LOC still live with fear that one day the Indians may avenge kargil. But I know, we know, everyone knows that India will never play a role of an aggressor. There is a saying which goes like this:Strive for peace but be prepared for war. India was not expecting its neighbor to do such backstabbing. But India recovered from the setback and chased out the pakistanis and beyond everyone's belief contained its anger and restrained herself from crossing over the border to teach the invaders a lesson. It is well known that thogh India did not want to cross the border, it was quite ready to overwhelm and pummel pakistan if required.
When someone decides to meddle with your country’s sovereignty, you have to teach them a lesson which will remain in their minds for generations.
Thus ended the Kargil conflict with the provision of safe passage to the rest of the intruders. The Indian military will never be the same again. The key to success is to learn from past mistakes. India had to learn lessons the hard way, always. The kargil episode definitely played a major role in India becoming the world leading arms purchaser. Pakistan needs to learn some bitter lessons. But she refuses to do so. I am sure the Indian leadership will be more than happy to end the hostile relation with Pak. But pakistan continues to fuel cross-border terror. If Pakistan can ask India to forget the Kargil episode, pakistan should be ready to drop the idealogy of cross border terrorism.
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