India’s first indigenous anti-radiation missile, Rudram, developed for the Indian Air Force, was successfully flight-tested from a Sukhoi-30 MKI jet off the east coast on 9 October. A radiation target located on Wheeler Island off the coast of Odisha was used. With this, the country has established indigenous capability to develop long range air launched anti-radiation missiles for neutralising enemy Radars, communication sites and other RF emitting targets.
The missile is a potent weapon for IAF for Suppression of Enemy Air Defence effectively from large stand-off ranges.
The Rudram is first indigenous anti-radiation missile of the country for the IAF, being developed by DRDO. The missile is integrated on Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft as the launch platform, having capability of varying ranges based on launch conditions. It has INS-GPS navigation with Passive Homing Head for the final attack. The Rudram hit the radiation target with pin-point accuracy.
Anti-Radiation Missiles
Anti-radiation missiles are designed to detect, track and neutralise the adversary’s radar, communication assets and other radio frequency sources, which are generally part of their air defence systems. Such a missile’s navigation mechanism comprises an inertial navigation system — a computerised mechanism that uses changes in the object’s own position — coupled with GPS, which is satellite-based.
The Passive Homing Head can detect, classify and engage targets over a wide band of frequencies as programmed. The system can detect, classify and engage targets (radio frequency sources in this case) over a wide band of frequencies as programmed. These features allow it to choose and select a target among the range of emitters that it sees at that point of time. The new NGARMs with PHH operates in the D-J band and can detect radio frequency emission from 100km away.
Rudram 1 missile contains a radar dome which is critical for missiles which can be used to target and destroy enemy based radars on the ground. Once the Rudram missile locks on the target, it is capable of striking accurately even if the radiation source switches off in between.
Rudram-1 missile has a range of around 250 km. It can be fired from height ranging from 500 metres to 15 km. Rudram has the ability to detect enemy radars on the ground. Once these missiles disarm enemy radars on the ground, it can help inflict more damage in the attacks that follow the first wave.
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DRDO initiated development of anti-radiation missiles of this type around eight years ago, and its integration with fighter jets has been a collaborative effort of various DRDO facilities and formations of the IAF and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. While the system has been tested from a Sukhoi-30 MKI, it can be adapted for launch from other fighter jets too.
Because the missiles are to be carried and launched from extremely complex and sensitive fighter jets, the development was full of challenges, such as development of radiation seeker technologies and guidance systems, besides integration with the fighter jet, said a DRDO scientist.
Rudram has been developed for the IAF’s requirement to enhance its Suppression of Enemy Air Defence (SEAD) capability. As one of the many aspects of SEAD tactics, anti-radiation missiles are used mainly in the initial part of air conflict to strike at the air defence assets of the enemy, and also in later parts, leading to higher survivability to a country’s own aircraft. Neutralising or disrupting the operations of the adversary’s early warning radars, command and control systems, surveillance systems that use radio frequencies and give inputs for anti-aircraft weaponry, can be very crucial.
Scientists said modern-day warfare is more and more network-centric, which means it comprises elaborate detection, surveillance and communication systems that are integrated with the weapons systems.
