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

RUDRAM-1, the New Generation Anti-Radiation Missile, was test-fired at about 10.30 am, people familiar with the development said. RUDRAM-1 is is comparable to the tactical air-to-surface missile AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile inducted by the US Navy only in 2017

India on Friday successfully test-fired RUDRAM-1, the tactical anti-radiation missile that the Indian Air Force can launch from its Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jets to take down enemy radars and surveillance systems. The missile has a launch speech of up to 2 Mach, twice the speed of sound, people familiar with the matter said.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation developed the new generation weapon. It was tested at the interim test range Balasore, off the coast of Odisha in the Bay of Bengal, at about 10.30 am.

“This is a huge step forward,” a senior government official said about the DRDO’s successful test firing. “The IAF will now have the capability to perform SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defence) operations deep into enemy territory to destroy enemy air defence setup,” the official said.

This would allow the IAF’s strike aircraft to carry out their mission unhindered effectively. “This test demonstrates the capability of an Anti-Radiation Missile with large stand-off ranges,” a second official said.

The New Generation Anti-Radiation Missile, or NGARM, is integrated on Su-30MKI fighter aircraft. Its range depends on the height at which the fighter jet is flying. It can be launched from a height ranging from 500 metres to 15 km and can hit radiation emitting targets within a range of 250 km.

All radars and Electro Optical Tracking System tracked the launch and point of impact, a senior government official told Hindustan Times.

The tactical, air-to-surface anti-radiation missile is equipped with a passive homing head that tracks sources of radiation of a wide range of frequencies. It can lock into a target not only before launch but also after it has been launched.

The missile is comparable to the tactical air-to-surface missile AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile that was inducted by the US Navy only in 2017 and can engage relocatable Integrated Air Defence targets and other targets equipped with shutdown capability. This means that if the enemy shuts down the radar after the missile is launched, it will still hit the target.

RUDRAM-1 can be integrated to IAF’s Sukhoi-30 jets and used as its launch platform. RUDRAM-1 can be used to detect and hone in on a radio source, according to defence website defenceupdate.in. This gives RUDRAM-1 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.

NGARM’s primary guidance system is an on-board passive homing head (PHH) armed with broadband capability. 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 is a target seeking missile and contains a radar dome which is critical for missiles which can be used to target and destroy enemy based radars on the ground. Rudram can strike any range between 100-250 km.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh tweeted his congratulations to the DRDO team that developed the supersonic-capable missile that can be launched at speeds ranging from 0.6 Mach to 2 Mach.

“The New Generation Anti-Radiation Missile (Rudram-1) which is India’s first indigenous anti-radiation missile developed by DRDO for Indian Air Force was tested successfully today at ITR, Balasore. Congratulations to DRDO & other stakeholders for this remarkable achievement,” Rajnath Singh said on Twitter.