What is LORA, why is India interested in this weapon after Brahmos? Bad news for Pakistan, China due to...
India's successful Brahmos missile demonstration during Operation Sindoor has raised questions about the Indian Air Force's reported interest in Israel's LORA missile. While the Brahmos possesses significant capabilities, the IAF is exploring the integration of LORA into aircraft such as the Sukhoi-30 MKI. This consideration prompts inquiry into the rationale behind acquiring LORA given the existing Brahmos arsenal and whether LORA would serve as a replacement.
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Indian Express
5 hours ago
- Indian Express
Second GE 404 engine delivered to HAL, 12 Tejas Mk 1 A to be delivered by year-end: Officials
Twelve Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas will be ready to be rolled out by December this year, of which six have already been lined up, government officials privy to the latest developments have said. Officials confirmed to The Indian Express that the second GE F404 engine from US defence major GE Aerospace has already landed in India as of Monday and would be taken to the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) facility in Bengaluru, where they will be integrated with the indigenous Tejas Mk 1 A aircraft. In August 2021, HAL placed an order worth Rs 5,375 crore for 99 F404 engines with GE Aerospace to power the indigenously made Tejas Mk-1A. The first of these jet engines was delivered to HAL after a delay of nearly a year and a half, in April this year. The Indian Air Force has placed an order to procure 83 Mk 1 A fighter jets. The defence ministry is also in the process of procuring 97 more LCA Mk-1As at a cost of around Rs 67,000 crore Officials said that GE Aerospace has said it will deliver 10 engines by the end of this year. 'It takes about a month to integrate the engines and do the tests. The process first involves building the fuselage, then getting the lobing and piping done, followed by combining the landing gear,' an official explained. 'After integrating the engines, the ground runs, including the high-speed runs, are carried out for all thorough checks,' the official added. The deliveries of LCA Tejas Mk 1A were scheduled to begin in March 2024, but were delayed by over a year. Last month, HAL Chairperson and Managing Director D K Sunil attributed the delay to GE Aerospace missing the deadline to supply the aircraft engines to HAL for Tejas Mk 1A. The development came weeks after IAF Chief Air Marshal AP Singh expressed concerns over delays in the delivery of the jets. The timely induction of the indigenous fighter jets, including Tejas Mk 1A, is crucial to hold the IAF's dwindling squadron strength. The IAF has phased out most of its MiG-21 squadrons, and early next decade, it is likely to begin phasing out other ageing fighter squadrons. According to officials, HAL plans to produce 16 fighter jets next year, provided the engine deliveries from the US are on schedule. The original plans were to produce 16 aircraft every year and complete deliveries of all jets by 2030. The Tejas Mk 1 A jets have multiple upgrades over the Tejas Mk 1 version, including integration of the AESA radar, Advanced Electronic Warfare Suite with a jammer, and Beyond Visual Range (BVR) capabilities with integration of Derby and the indigenous ASTRA missile. Officials said testing for the indigenously-made ASTRA missile firings from the aircraft is underway at present. Earlier this month, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh asked US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to expedite the deliveries of GE F404 engines that will power the Tejas Mk 1 A. The engine deliveries from GE Aerospace were originally scheduled to begin in 2023, but were delayed due to COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain issues.
News18
5 hours ago
- News18
Faster Than BrahMos, Deadlier Than Agni: How India's New Hypersonic Missile Changes The Game
India's DRDO has developed the ET-LDHCM, a hypersonic missile under Project Vishnu, capable of Mach 8 speeds and a 1,500 km range India has quietly pulled off a major breakthrough in missile technology with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) having developed what is now being called the country's most advanced missile system, the Extended Trajectory Long Duration Hypersonic Cruise Missile (ET-LDHCM). This new missile doesn't just outperform existing defence systems like BrahMos, Agni-5, and Akash but changes the game entirely. The ET-LDHCM, developed under the highly classified Project Vishnu, is capable of flying at Mach 8, eight times the speed of sound, and can strike targets up to 1,500 km away. That's nearly three times faster and more than three times the range of the original BrahMos missile. While BrahMos started with a range of 290 km and now stretches to 450 km, the ET-LDHCM enters an entirely different category of weaponry, combining speed, stealth, and long-range precision. What makes this missile particularly better is its use of a scramjet engine, a propulsion system that uses atmospheric oxygen and doesn't rely on rotating compressors like traditional engines. This allows the missile to maintain hypersonic speeds for longer durations. It can also carry conventional or nuclear warheads weighing between 1,000 to 2,000 kg, and fly at low altitudes, making it tough to detect and intercept. The ET-LDHCM is maneuverable in-flight, giving it an edge over many existing ballistic and cruise missile systems. It's also built to withstand temperatures up to 2,000 degrees Celsius, ensuring its structural integrity at hypersonic speeds. The missile is multi-platform compatible, it can be launched from land, sea, or air, making it a flexible weapon suited for targeting command centres, radar systems, naval fleets, or hardened underground bunkers. Its capabilities are so advanced that analysts say it could challenge high-end defence systems like Russia's S-500 or Israel's Iron Dome. India's test comes amid high geopolitical friction – the Russia-Ukraine war, Israel-Iran tensions, and strained relations with China and Pakistan. The ET-LDHCM test places India in an elite group of nations alongside the United States, Russia, and China, with indigenous hypersonic missile capability. What Is Project Vishnu? Project Vishnu is DRDO's most ambitious hypersonic weapons programme to date. It involves the development of 12 distinct hypersonic systems, including both offensive missiles and interceptors capable of taking down incoming threats mid-air. The first successful scramjet engine test under this project was conducted in November 2024, where the engine ran for 1,000 seconds, establishing proof of concept. The ET-LDHCM is the first major missile to emerge from this programme. Notably, the missile has been entirely developed using indigenous technology, with significant input from MSMEs and private defence contractors. This not only strengthens self-reliance under the country's defence manufacturing policy but also boosts local innovation and employment. Defence analysts are calling ET-LDHCM a potential tipping point in South Asian military dynamics. It could alter the strategic balance with China in the Indo-Pacific and enhance deterrence against Pakistan, especially given its speed and survivability against interception. view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Indian Express
6 hours ago
- Indian Express
PM Modi welcomes Shubhanshu Shukla back to earth: ‘inspired a billion dreams'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the return of Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla from his historic space mission, calling it an inspiration for a billion dreams. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Modi said: 'I join the nation in welcoming Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla as he returns to Earth from his historic mission to Space. As India's first astronaut to have visited International Space Station, he has inspired a billion dreams through his dedication, courage and pioneering spirit.' I join the nation in welcoming Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla as he returns to Earth from his historic mission to Space. As India's first astronaut to have visited International Space Station, he has inspired a billion dreams through his dedication, courage and pioneering… — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 15, 2025 The Prime Minister also linked the achievement to India's future space ambitions, calling it 'another milestone towards our own Human Space Flight Mission – Gaganyaan.' Group Captain Shukla, a pilot with the Indian Air Force, has become only the second Indian to travel to space—following Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma's historic flight in 1984—and the first Indian to visit the $150 billion International Space Station. The landmark mission, arranged by private space firm Axiom Space in collaboration with NASA and ISRO, reportedly cost India around $70 million. Axiom Space stated that after spending approximately 433 hours in space—completing 18 days and 288 orbits around Earth, covering nearly 12.2 million kilometres—the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) crew has officially begun its journey back home.
