All About Scalp, Hammer Missiles And Kamikaze Drones India Used Under 'Operation Sindoor'
Some reports strongly suggested that the Indian Air Force (IAF) deployed Rafale jets armed with Scalp cruise missiles, Hammer standoff weapons and Kamikaze drones.
Published : May 7, 2025 at 2:50 PM IST
New Delhi: India’s precision airstrikes against terrorists in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) under ‘Operation Sindoor’ put a spotlight on the country's air defence weapons used in the raids.
Some reports strongly suggested that the Indian Air Force (IAF) deployed Rafale jets armed with Scalp cruise missiles, Hammer standoff weapons and Kamikaze drones.
Per official claims, the strikes hit key terror camps and infrastructure in locations such as Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Gulpur, Bhimber, Sialkot, Muridke, Chak Amru, and Bahawalpur, which triggered the shelling tension along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB).
More about Scalp
Scalp or Système de Croisière Autonome à Longue Portée – Emploi Général is a ‘Storm Shadow’ missile in the UK, which has been integrated on India’s Rafales.
The Franco-British long-range, air-launched cruise missile was developed collaboratively by Matra and British Aerospace (now MBDA) since the mid-1990s.
Powered by a Microturbo TRI 60-30 turbojet engine, it produces the characteristic sound heard and has a range of over 560 km (in its export version). The 450 kg warhead, attached to it, is made for low-altitude terrains and is known to carry out raids with precision and stealth
Key features of Scalp
The Scalp missile has a range that typically exceeds 250 km, with some variants reaching up to 500 km. It can escape detection by air defence as it has a low radar cross-section and advanced navigation.
It uses inertial navigation, GPS, terrain-following radar, and an infrared terminal seeker for high accuracy and low observability.
The Scalp can carry a 450 kg BROACH tandem warhead capable of penetrating hardened targets before detonation. It can be fitted with various aircraft, including the Eurofighter Typhoon, Dassault Rafale, and Mirage 2000 and can navigate through satellite navigation sensors.
It has automatic target recognition capabilities, making its strike highly precise. The Scalp system can distinguish its target from other structures and can achieve success through a combination of Inertial Navigation System (INS), GPS guidance, Terrain Reference Navigation (TERPROM), and Imaging Infrared (IIR) seeker for terminal guidance and automatic target recognition.
All about Hammer
The other believed to have been used in ‘Operation Sindoor’ is Hammer, or (Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range), which is an all-weather air-to-ground precision-guided munition.
It can hit the target in the range of up to 70 km using standard bombs, made by a French company. This missile system is also insensitive to jamming and can be launched from low altitude over rough terrain.
Like Scalp, Hammer is also known for its precision strikes, delivering high-accuracy strikes against both stationary and mobile targets.
Designed by Safran Electronics & Defense, a French defence firm, it is versatile and effective against a broad spectrum of targets, from fortified positions to moving assets on the battlefield.
Kamikaze drones
Kamikaze drones, also known as loitering munitions or suicide drones, are distinct aerial weapons designed to engage targets with high-impact attack after identification.
Like Scalp and Hammer, Kamikaze drones are used for precision attacks and can be programmed to search for targets and hover for extended periods for monitoring.
The unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can be modified to carry explosives and used as kamikaze drones. Iran has been cited as a producer and user of kamikaze drones, with some models being supplied to other groups like the Houthis, Russia, and the Islamic Resistance in Iraq.
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