NEW DELHI: The
Indian Air Force on Republic Day released official footage of frontline fighter jets armed with advanced missiles, seeking to counter claims by Pakistani and Western critics who had questioned India’s use of high-end weaponry during the 2019 Balakot air strikes and
Operation Sindoor last year.
The video, posted on X, showed Rafale, Sukhoi-30MKI and indigenously built Tejas fighter aircraft with fully loaded hardpoints carrying Meteor and BrahMos missiles. The visuals confirmed that both missile systems were operationally deployed during Operation Sindoor, effectively ending months of speculation over whether India possessed and used the beyond visual range Meteor missile during cross-border operations.
The footage also displayed Mirage 2000 aircraft carrying the same class of missiles used during the Balakot strikes, reinforcing the continuity and depth of India’s air strike capabilities.
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Meteor is a next-generation beyond visual range air-to-air missile developed by European missile manufacturer MBDA. It is designed to give fighter aircraft decisive superiority in aerial combat and is considered among the most advanced air-to-air missiles currently in operational service.
The missile can engage enemy aircraft well beyond the pilot’s line of sight and is capable of defeating highly manoeuvrable fighter jets, unmanned aerial vehicles and cruise missiles, even in environments with heavy electronic countermeasures.
Meteor has a range exceeding 200 kilometres and is powered by a solid-fuelled ramjet engine. Unlike conventional air-to-air missiles, this propulsion system provides sustained thrust throughout the missile’s flight, allowing it to maintain speeds above Mach 4 even in the terminal phase.
One of Meteor’s most critical advantages is its large no escape zone, which is several times greater than that of existing medium-range air-to-air missiles. This significantly reduces the chances of enemy aircraft evading interception.
The missile uses a sophisticated guidance system combining inertial navigation, mid-course updates via a two-way data link and an active radar seeker in the terminal phase. It is equipped with a fragmentation warhead designed to ensure maximum lethality.
Meteor in the Indian Air Force
India inducted the Meteor missile as part of the 7.87 billion euro deal signed with France in September 2016 for 36 Rafale fighter jets. The package included Meteor and Scalp missiles along with India-specific modifications.
Despite the deal, doubts persisted over whether the Meteor missiles had actually been delivered. The IAF footage released on Republic Day put those doubts to rest by showing Meteor missiles mounted on Rafale jets and also being fired from the Tejas light combat aircraft.
The video also showed a fully loaded Mirage 2000 carrying the same missile model used during the 2019 Balakot strikes, further confirming operational deployment.
BrahMos missile: India’s supersonic precision strike weapon
BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile jointly developed by India and Russia and is regarded as one of the fastest operational cruise missiles in the world. Designed for precision strikes against high-value and hardened targets, it forms a central pillar of India’s conventional deterrence across land, sea and air domains.
Named after the Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers, BrahMos has been inducted into all three services of the Indian armed forces. It can be launched from mobile land platforms, frontline warships, submarines and fighter aircraft, giving India flexibility across multiple theatres.
The defining feature of the BrahMos missile is its speed, which ranges between Mach 2.8 and Mach 3. Flying at nearly three times the speed of sound, the missile sharply reduces the reaction time available to enemy air defence systems. Its low flight profile, high manoeuvrability and terminal phase manoeuvres make interception extremely difficult.
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Early variants of the missile had a range of up to 290 kilometres, while extended-range versions exceed 400 kilometres. The missile carries a conventional high-explosive warhead weighing between 200 and 300 kilograms and is guided by an inertial navigation system with satellite updates and active radar homing in the terminal phase.
During Operation Sindoor, BrahMos missiles were used to deliver precision strikes, underlining India’s ability to conduct deep and decisive air operations at high speed.
The land-attack variant is deployed with the Indian Army on mobile launchers, allowing rapid repositioning and deep strikes. The ship-launched variant equips Indian Navy destroyers and frigates and can engage both land and sea targets through sea-skimming attack profiles. The submarine-launched version provides a stealthy strike option, enhancing survivability and deterrence.
The air-launched BrahMos, integrated with the Sukhoi-30MKI fighter aircraft, has a reduced weight and significantly extends operational range by being launched from altitude and speed.
Apart from Meteor and BrahMos, the footage also displayed the Rampage air-to-surface missile, known for its precision strike capability. Sukhoi-30MKI aircraft carried the Rampage missile during Operation Sindoor, expanding the range of standoff weapons used in the operation.