Indian rocket force — a quantum leap in conventional deterrence

The article by Saurav Jha (The Diplomat, 11/21) has useful insights. Link Link

1. Indian Rocket Force came into force to counter Chinese rocket force that is currently positioned in depth along the Indo-Tibet border. It is expected to provide a quantum leap in conventional deterrence.

In September 2021, India’s Chief of Defense Staff (CDS), General Bipin Rawat, stated that India was looking to set up a “Rocket Force” of its own. 

"It is a recognition of a stark asymmetry that currently exists in the China-India military balance – the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF) has the ability to mount a major conventional missile strike campaign against critical Indian military and civilian targets with New Delhi’s response options being limited in comparison," recalls the author.

2. Recent conflicts have shown that force concentrations are easy to pick-off with precision long-range weapons. IRF would need to possess a variety of different types of weapons and disperse its assets on the battlefield. It could then apply a focused concentration of firepower through a mix of platforms.

"There is, therefore, a need to aggregate fires rather than platforms," General (Retd) Manoj Mukund Naravane, former Chief of Army Staff, told a Delhi think-tank (8/21)

3. The idea of forming the Rocket Force (IRF) is to put all the relevant capabilities that exist in the three forces under a single command and control structure. It is felt that the IRF needs to bulk up its numbers and achieve precision. This can happen through the aggregation of military assets and jointness of services command. Through theaterization, the IRF will reduce inter-service rivalry, facilitate operations and improve acquisitions. 

"A separate IRF would “lead to economies of scale, evolution of a suitable doctrine of employment and aggregation necessary for massed fires," K Saraswat, former DRDO Chairman said. Saraswat believes that an IRF would catapult India into the era of non-contact warfare. 

4. Chinese rocket force maintains an ambiguous nuclear status and uses a mix of missiles, including ballistic platforms. This compels India to adopt all types of (conventional) missiles including ballistic missiles in its Rocket Force. 

Existing missiles complete with upgrades

5. Agni-Prime with a range of 1000-2000km, is able to hit deep into China, at ranges that would make their leadership rethink (according to the author). This makes Agni-Prime very desirable and a prime candidate for the Indian Rocket Force.

6. Nirbhay Ground Launched Cruise Missile (GLCM) is another missile that can reach over 1000km. It is set to enter IAF service in substantial numbers in the next few years. An indigenous MANIK missile is currently being tested through the Indigenous Technology Cruise Missile (ITCM) programme. A totally indigenous GLCM would spawn a significant increase in production of these missiles. Despite some advantages, its disadvantage is that it is subsonic and has a smaller warhead (at ~200kg) compared to ballistic missiles.

7. Long-range Brahmos (Brahmos ER, 800km & in future to 1500km) is very compelling for the Indian Rocket Force. Brahmos missile is able to do evasive manoeuvres, ability to bypass barriers at supersonic speeds and hit with pin-point accuracy. It is nevertheless expensive (due to imported parts); has a smaller warhead size compared to ballistic missiles, and it is required to use some Russian components under the JV agreement with Russia.

8. Parlay ballistic missile has a short-range and a large warhead of 700kg. It is able to do considerable damage to a large area. This leaves the shorter-range CMs to be used for focused attacks on enemy logistic nodes and force concentrations. The author suggests that these missiles should be under Rocket Force command since IA HQ will have difficulty "seeing," "planning," and "executing" at long ranges.

9. Prahar 2/Pranash SRBM : IA may lay claim to future rocket artillery at stand-off ranges of 250-300km, but top commanders may want to keep ballistic missiles such as Prahar 2/ Pranash within the ambit of the IRF.

10. Coastal batteries armed with the Brahmos anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM) may feature in the IRF, particularly if they are used in Admanan & Nicabar islands.

Under-development missiles

11. Anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBMs), which are still under development can also feature in the IRF at coastal locations. SMART (under testing) could be one such missile.

12. Scramjet-powered hypersonic cruise missile is a "game-changer", especially if it is fabricated at low-cost in India. Scamjet hypersonic CM is under development. India successfully tested scramjet technology for hypersonic cruise missiles in September 2020. It achieved Mach 6 for 22-24 seconds.

13. Hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) is potentially a "game changer" if the technology is indigenous and the costs are low. ISRO and IDS HQ jointly tested a hyper-glide vehicle in December 2022. The trial achieved all required parameters and demonstrated hypersonic vehicle capability. It achieved speeds greater than Mach 4. Hypersonic glide vehicles may be available for final testing in a few years (~2025).