Air Engagement of Operation Sindoor : Analysis
- Thread starter Parthu
- Start date
Most likely given the air launched version came into stabilised form off the back of ground level version development. This is what they do really. We have been seeing this all along.
Dev team: We have a cruise missile.
user; Good, now make it hit the target like a ballistic missile.
Dev team: We got a ballistic missile.
user: Good, now make it fly like a cruise missile within tolerance limit.
Dev team: We have a quasi ballistic missile.
user: Good, now make it fly in same form factor like a higher dia ballistic missile without any loss in maneuverability
Dev team: We have a glide weapon
user: Good, now make it choose a different target coordinate in the same target area that I can relay to the obc via the datalink in the terminal phase of flight.
Is it so sure.
With the poor datas we have so far, we may imagine that IAF don't expect a so harsh oposition the day 1. With some more air dominance fighter in the sky, as Su30 and/or Rafale with Meteor, things could have be different.
Brahmos seems to be war proven so far.
A good indian asset.
Main IAF plan weakness is not to destroyed ground radars and SAM at the very beginning.
But they didn't want to make too much damage to Pak army, but to terrorist camps...
If IAF has decided to go without sead/dead then, yeas its the lacuna from IAF. If that particular ROE is imposed by some body then we cannot blame IAF.
France has sometimes carried out operations without SEAD/DEAD, but in this case, the Rafale's operating procedures are complex and only the best pilots can be employed, making it more difficult to select personnel for a large-scale operation.
I don't think France have ever done any mission without doing DEAD/SEAD with rafale. In my knowledge French rafale had only took part missions in Mali & Libya, both cases cannot be counted as a contested airspace. You can simply done those job with either Mirage or even Jags.
BrahMos ALSCM with steep dive (as expected of course)
Curious if the new ice breaker they want to buy will feature in the next op ? We did use Rampage last time but that's a glorified arty rocket , not as devastating effect a bigger warhead weapon would do. Its pretty obvious IAF want to increase variety of items in the inventory.
Either way the air engagement will take a new shape the next time.
Curious if the new ice breaker they want to buy will feature in the next op ? We did use Rampage last time but that's a glorified arty rocket , not as devastating effect a bigger warhead weapon would do. Its pretty obvious IAF want to increase variety of items in the inventory.
Either way the air engagement will take a new shape the next time.
France conducted missions over Libya before the US and UK destroyed the SAMs by launching 130 Tomahawks.
A theory is that IAF didn't want to attack Pak army assets, but only terrorisys bases and cams, to avoid any escalation.
They were very surprised to see how the PAF was ready and strong. It was not anticipate.
The second phase of the fight show that IAF learned from that.
That dive probably increases terminal velocity by a notch.
Libya was in 1980 during that time.
Remember, US used Tomahawk to target Taliban.
Icebreaker have even smaller warhead than Rampage. Icebreaker is more like a smaller,cheaper SCALP.
Yeah, hence curious why they want more, while they ask to increase payload every time drdo make.
I mean from use perspective, like instead of launching 1 brahmos, maybe they want one option of launching 3-4 smaller vectors each in different flight path & direction of approach ?
Brahmos can only launched from modifed MKIs. Icebreaker is 400kg and Rampage is 570kg. It can carried by all fighters in numbers.
IMO, navy should integrate Seabreaker with Rafale-M for Ashm role because of its low weight. It will somewhat negates lack of CATOBAR.
My analysis of IAF's operation:
IAF is in a precarious situation. No IAF BVR missiles can get mid course updates from AEW&Cs or a UAV relay. This means they need to guided by the shooter itself or a buddy shooter, they will be under threat from PL-15 and PL-17 and may not be able to provide mid course updates throughout to ensure good probability of kill. Where as PAF or PLAAF shooter can engage in truly fire and forget tactic, shooter fires BVR and then rely on AEW&Cs or UAV relay to guide the missile via Chinese datalink.
Only solution is to develop a local tactical data link system like Link16. To update ASTRA missile series to work with this datalink. Re platforms need to update SU30MKI, MIG29UPG, LCA and our AEW&Cs with this datalink. Not sure if french platforms can be updated without huge OEM costs.
Till then, IAF will have to be defensive in air to air engagement and relying on SAMs (networked with VHF radars) like S400, MRSAM and Kusha (in future) for area denial. Longer range air to surface standoff weapons like Brahmos, Rudram 2 & 3 will provide deterrence against PLAAF and PAF (they are specially vulnerable to it).
Source for the images: Did the SPECTRA EW suite contribute to the alleged IAF Rafale loss on the 7th May 2025?
IAF is in a precarious situation. No IAF BVR missiles can get mid course updates from AEW&Cs or a UAV relay. This means they need to guided by the shooter itself or a buddy shooter, they will be under threat from PL-15 and PL-17 and may not be able to provide mid course updates throughout to ensure good probability of kill. Where as PAF or PLAAF shooter can engage in truly fire and forget tactic, shooter fires BVR and then rely on AEW&Cs or UAV relay to guide the missile via Chinese datalink.
Only solution is to develop a local tactical data link system like Link16. To update ASTRA missile series to work with this datalink. Re platforms need to update SU30MKI, MIG29UPG, LCA and our AEW&Cs with this datalink. Not sure if french platforms can be updated without huge OEM costs.
Till then, IAF will have to be defensive in air to air engagement and relying on SAMs (networked with VHF radars) like S400, MRSAM and Kusha (in future) for area denial. Longer range air to surface standoff weapons like Brahmos, Rudram 2 & 3 will provide deterrence against PLAAF and PAF (they are specially vulnerable to it).
Source for the images: Did the SPECTRA EW suite contribute to the alleged IAF Rafale loss on the 7th May 2025?
