Indian Air Force's 'Rampage' Missile Sees Combat Use by Israeli Forces

The Indian Air Force's powerful stand-off missile, known as the High-Speed Low Drag-Mark 2 or 'Rampage,' has reportedly been employed by the Israeli Air Force during its recent strikes on Iranian targets, according to defense sources cited by ANI.

India has inducted the Rampage into its fleet of Russian-origin aircraft, including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-29 fighters, and Jaguar jets. The Indian Navy has also integrated the missile into its MiG-29K naval fighter jets.

The stand-off weapon provides Indian fighter pilots with the capability to engage and neutralize high-value targets such as communication centers or radar stations from a safe distance.

The procurement of the Rampage was part of the emergency powers granted by the Defense Ministry to the armed forces in 2020, allowing them to expedite the acquisition of critical weapons and equipment following the standoff with China.

With a longer range than the Spice-2000s used in the 2019 Balakot air strikes, the Rampage marks a significant addition to India's air-to-ground strike capabilities.

"The induction of the Rampage and its integration with the Russian Su-30 has given a big boost to the Russian aircraft fleet, which can now fire multiple long-range air-to-ground missiles, including the over 400 Km strike range BrahMos supersonic missiles," a defense source told ANI.

The Indian Air Force has been actively pursuing multiple weapon systems from both foreign and domestic vendors to enhance its offensive and defensive capabilities. Recently, it successfully tested the ROCKS or Crystal Maze-2 air-launched ballistic missile in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands territory.