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| Turkey's Akinci equipped with IHA-230 missiles |
The Akıncı-İHA-230 Combo: Pakistan’s Asymmetric Edge
The Akıncı’s fusion of stealth, endurance (24+ hours airborne), and payload capacity (1,350 kg) makes it ideal for Pakistan’s coastline and maritime reconnaissance missions. When paired with the İHA-230—a missile reaching speeds of Mach 1.5—the duo creates a low-cost, high-impact threat. Unlike traditional anti-ship missiles fired from warships or aircraft, drone-launched ballistic missiles (DLBMs) exploit gaps in carrier strike group defenses.
For instance, India’s INS Vikrant, which relies on Barak-8 and AK-630 missile systems, is optimized to counter sea-skimming threats and fighter jets. However, the İHA-230’s trajectory—launched from a UAV at 40,000 feet—could bypass these defenses by approaching from unexpected angles. Pakistan could deploy Akıncı drones from land bases in Balochistan or Sindh, targeting Indian carriers patrolling the North Arabian Sea. This tactic would force India to divert resources toward drone detection, stretching its naval preparedness.
Broader Implications: A New Age of Naval Warfare
Globally, DLBMs challenge traditional carrier-centric doctrines. China’s DF-21D “carrier killer” and Iran’s Shahed-136 loitering munitions reflect similar trends. In South Asia, however, the stakes are higher due to nuclear overtones. Pakistan’s potential to deploy DLBMs with tactical nuclear warheads—though speculative—adds a destabilizing layer. India’s response—prioritising BMD upgrades and partnerships with tech powers like the U.S. and France—mirrors efforts to future-proof its naval supremacy.
The Akıncı-İHA-230 duo epitomises how niche technologies are reshaping regional power equations. While Pakistan gains a credible deterrent against India’s carriers, New Delhi’s multi-domain countermeasures ensure no single system dominates the battlefield. The ultimate winner, however, may be the defence industry itself, as rivals pour billions into neutralising each other’s breakthroughs—a cycle where innovation and imitation race in lockstep.
As global conflicts pivot toward precision-strike dominance, India’s defence ecosystem is forging a dual-edged strategy—harnessing cutting-edge imports while reinventing indigenous systems. The Indian Navy’s integration of Israel’s Rampage missile and the ongoing development of an air-launched Pinaka rocket system epitomise this approach, driven by the need to counter Turkey’s drone-driven ballistic innovations and fortify regional deterrence.
The Akıncı’s fusion of stealth, endurance (24+ hours airborne), and payload capacity (1,350 kg) makes it ideal for Pakistan’s coastline and maritime reconnaissance missions. When paired with the İHA-230—a missile reaching speeds of Mach 1.5—the duo creates a low-cost, high-impact threat. Unlike traditional anti-ship missiles fired from warships or aircraft, drone-launched ballistic missiles (DLBMs) exploit gaps in carrier strike group defenses.
For instance, India’s INS Vikrant, which relies on Barak-8 and AK-630 missile systems, is optimized to counter sea-skimming threats and fighter jets. However, the İHA-230’s trajectory—launched from a UAV at 40,000 feet—could bypass these defenses by approaching from unexpected angles. Pakistan could deploy Akıncı drones from land bases in Balochistan or Sindh, targeting Indian carriers patrolling the North Arabian Sea. This tactic would force India to divert resources toward drone detection, stretching its naval preparedness.
India’s Counter: Missile Shields and Swarm Tactics
India’s two-layer Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) system, tested successfully in 2024, remains a cornerstone of its carrier defence strategy. The Prithvi Air Defence (PAD) and Advanced Air Defence (AAD) interceptors are designed to engage incoming missiles at altitudes of 80 km (exo-atmospheric) and 30 km (endo-atmospheric), respectively. However, these ballistic missile defence (BMD) systems have not yet been integrated into the Indian Navy’s aircraft carriers(INS Vikramaditya,INS Vikrant) or destroyers.Yet, DLBMs like the İHA-230 operate at lower exo-atmospheric thresholds, complicating interception timelines.
To adapt, India is exploring complementary measures:
Drone Jamming Networks: Indigenous systems like the DRDO’s D4 Suite, which disrupts UAV navigation and datalinks.
Carrier-Based Laser Defences : Collaborative projects with Israel to mount Iron Beam lasers on Vikrant-class ships, targeting low-altitude projectiles.
Swarm Drones: The Naval Anti-Swarm Drone System (NASDS)—a fleet of 100+ mini-drones—can overwhelm hostile UAVs before they launch missiles.
The Cost-Benefit Equation
Turkey’s DLBM technology offers Pakistan a cost-effective alternative to heavyweight platforms like hypersonic missiles. Each Akıncı-İHA-230 unit reportedly costs $10–15 million, compared to India’s $6 billion INS Vikrant. For a cash-strapped Pakistan, this asymmetry is strategic gold. However, India’s defence-industrial ecosystem provides scalability; its BrahMos-NG (Next Generation) cruise missile, with a 400 km range, could be adapted for retaliatory strikes against drone bases.
India’s two-layer Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) system, tested successfully in 2024, remains a cornerstone of its carrier defence strategy. The Prithvi Air Defence (PAD) and Advanced Air Defence (AAD) interceptors are designed to engage incoming missiles at altitudes of 80 km (exo-atmospheric) and 30 km (endo-atmospheric), respectively. However, these ballistic missile defence (BMD) systems have not yet been integrated into the Indian Navy’s aircraft carriers(INS Vikramaditya,INS Vikrant) or destroyers.Yet, DLBMs like the İHA-230 operate at lower exo-atmospheric thresholds, complicating interception timelines.
To adapt, India is exploring complementary measures:
Drone Jamming Networks: Indigenous systems like the DRDO’s D4 Suite, which disrupts UAV navigation and datalinks.
Carrier-Based Laser Defences : Collaborative projects with Israel to mount Iron Beam lasers on Vikrant-class ships, targeting low-altitude projectiles.
Swarm Drones: The Naval Anti-Swarm Drone System (NASDS)—a fleet of 100+ mini-drones—can overwhelm hostile UAVs before they launch missiles.
The Cost-Benefit Equation
Turkey’s DLBM technology offers Pakistan a cost-effective alternative to heavyweight platforms like hypersonic missiles. Each Akıncı-İHA-230 unit reportedly costs $10–15 million, compared to India’s $6 billion INS Vikrant. For a cash-strapped Pakistan, this asymmetry is strategic gold. However, India’s defence-industrial ecosystem provides scalability; its BrahMos-NG (Next Generation) cruise missile, with a 400 km range, could be adapted for retaliatory strikes against drone bases.
Broader Implications: A New Age of Naval Warfare
Globally, DLBMs challenge traditional carrier-centric doctrines. China’s DF-21D “carrier killer” and Iran’s Shahed-136 loitering munitions reflect similar trends. In South Asia, however, the stakes are higher due to nuclear overtones. Pakistan’s potential to deploy DLBMs with tactical nuclear warheads—though speculative—adds a destabilizing layer. India’s response—prioritising BMD upgrades and partnerships with tech powers like the U.S. and France—mirrors efforts to future-proof its naval supremacy.
The Akıncı-İHA-230 duo epitomises how niche technologies are reshaping regional power equations. While Pakistan gains a credible deterrent against India’s carriers, New Delhi’s multi-domain countermeasures ensure no single system dominates the battlefield. The ultimate winner, however, may be the defence industry itself, as rivals pour billions into neutralising each other’s breakthroughs—a cycle where innovation and imitation race in lockstep.
As global conflicts pivot toward precision-strike dominance, India’s defence ecosystem is forging a dual-edged strategy—harnessing cutting-edge imports while reinventing indigenous systems. The Indian Navy’s integration of Israel’s Rampage missile and the ongoing development of an air-launched Pinaka rocket system epitomise this approach, driven by the need to counter Turkey’s drone-driven ballistic innovations and fortify regional deterrence.
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| Israeli Rampage Missile |
Secured through a 2022 Indo-Israeli pact, the Rampage supersonic air-to-surface missile entered Indian naval service by mid-2024. Tailored for the Navy’s MiG-29K/KUB fleet, this system transforms India’s ability to project power across maritime theaters. Key tactical advantages include:
Extended Reach: 250 km strike range, permitting launches from international waters to hit coastal command centres or missile batteries.
Stealth and Survivability: A low-radar cross-section design paired with supersonic dash speeds (Mach 1.8) to evade detection.
Multi-Target Flexibility: Pre-programmed waypoints and inertial navigation allow single-sortie strikes on dispersed targets.
Deployed aboard the INS Vikrant and Vikramaditya carriers, Rampage equips India to dismantle adversary infrastructure—from radar arrays in Balochistan to Gwadar Port’s naval facilities—without risking manned aircraft deep inside contested zones.
Turkey’s Bayraktar Akıncı drones, armed with İHA-230 ballistic missiles, exposed vulnerabilities in India’s ability to possess cheap air to ground missiles. In response, the DRDO initiated Project Vajra Astra in late 2023 to adapt the Pinaka Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) for aerial deployment.
Range Boost in pinaka Guided Rockets - By modifying rocket motors and reducing warhead weight, engineers aim to extend Pinaka’s reach from 75 km (ground) to 120 km (air).
Trials using modified Su-30MKIs to began in late 2025, focusing on altitude-triggered ignition systems and aerodynamic stability. Success here would position India among a select group mastering air-launched artillery—a niche currently dominated by Russia’s S-13 rocket systems.
Turkey’s drone-missile synergy with Pakistan has redefined South Asia’s threat matrix. India’s counterstrategy hinges on two pillars:
Rampage’s Deterrent Value: High-cost, high-reward strikes to degrade critical nodes (e.g., drone launchpads in Sindh).
Pinaka’s Cost Efficiency: A $1.2 million per-squadron (abou 8 missiles) solution for saturation attacks on mobile targets like truck-mounted missile launchers.
Extended Reach: 250 km strike range, permitting launches from international waters to hit coastal command centres or missile batteries.
Stealth and Survivability: A low-radar cross-section design paired with supersonic dash speeds (Mach 1.8) to evade detection.
Multi-Target Flexibility: Pre-programmed waypoints and inertial navigation allow single-sortie strikes on dispersed targets.
Deployed aboard the INS Vikrant and Vikramaditya carriers, Rampage equips India to dismantle adversary infrastructure—from radar arrays in Balochistan to Gwadar Port’s naval facilities—without risking manned aircraft deep inside contested zones.
Turkey’s Bayraktar Akıncı drones, armed with İHA-230 ballistic missiles, exposed vulnerabilities in India’s ability to possess cheap air to ground missiles. In response, the DRDO initiated Project Vajra Astra in late 2023 to adapt the Pinaka Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) for aerial deployment.
Range Boost in pinaka Guided Rockets - By modifying rocket motors and reducing warhead weight, engineers aim to extend Pinaka’s reach from 75 km (ground) to 120 km (air).
Trials using modified Su-30MKIs to began in late 2025, focusing on altitude-triggered ignition systems and aerodynamic stability. Success here would position India among a select group mastering air-launched artillery—a niche currently dominated by Russia’s S-13 rocket systems.
Turkey’s drone-missile synergy with Pakistan has redefined South Asia’s threat matrix. India’s counterstrategy hinges on two pillars:
Rampage’s Deterrent Value: High-cost, high-reward strikes to degrade critical nodes (e.g., drone launchpads in Sindh).
Pinaka’s Cost Efficiency: A $1.2 million per-squadron (abou 8 missiles) solution for saturation attacks on mobile targets like truck-mounted missile launchers.
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| Pinaka Guided missiles |
Concurrently, India is retrofitting Rampage missiles with domestic seekers to bypass potential supply chain disruptions—a lesson from the CAATSA sanctions era.
Global Context and Future Trajectory
While the U.S. explores ship-launched ballistic missiles and China tests carrier-killer DF-21Ds, India’s dual-path approach offers scalability. The Navy plans to arm its upcoming TEDBF fighters with both Rampage and Pinaka variants, while the Air Force eyes airborne Pinaka batteries for Himalayan border operations.
Global Context and Future Trajectory
While the U.S. explores ship-launched ballistic missiles and China tests carrier-killer DF-21Ds, India’s dual-path approach offers scalability. The Navy plans to arm its upcoming TEDBF fighters with both Rampage and Pinaka variants, while the Air Force eyes airborne Pinaka batteries for Himalayan border operations.