French manufacturer Dassault Aviation re-calibrated its flagship fighter jet Rafale after the Indian Air Force (IAF) entreated.
Facing threat from the Eastern and western front, the IAF got the French aviation company to upgrade Rafale’s SCALP long-range air-launched cruise missile to ensure that the weapon can hit targets up to 4000 metres above sea level.
The subsonic missile with a range in excess of 300 kilometres and a 450-kilogramme warhead is part of the weapon suite on Rafale Omni-role fighter of the IAF.
The upgrade was done via a software tweak done by missile manufacturer MBDA in consultation with the top brass of IAF. It enhances the fighter jet’s capability increased from destroying targets at the maximum height of 2,000 metres above sea level to 4,000 metres. In simpler terms, the Indian Rafale can now demolish targets in the mountain and high plateaus.
The complete batch of 36 Rafale aircraft is expected to be delivered to India by the end of 2021 by the French. As of now, 7 Rafale’s are being used by IAF pilots in France. Meanwhile, the next batch of three Rafale is expected to arrive after the Republic Day. There are even talks taking place between India and UAE to refuel the incoming batch mid-air by Arab air force using Airbus 330 multi-role transport tankers as they fly towards Ambala airbase.
Rafale’s potent technology named SCALP or storm shadow cruise missile is a beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile with a range of more than 100 kilometres. The SCALP missile is used to target command, control, communications, air bases, ports, power stations, ammunition storage depots, surface ships, submarines and other strategic high-value targets.
