Indian Air Force is Evaluating Advanced Israeli Weapon Systems

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The Indian Air Force is planning a series of tests to prove the integration potential of some advanced Israeli-developed systems on its Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Tejas.

The list includes air-air missiles and precise air-ground weapon systems.

Recently, a Rafael I-Derby air-air missile was launched from the LCA over a test range in the Goa region.

Following the successful test launch and integration, the Indian DRDO has decided to equip one squadron of the LCA with the Israeli missile.

The integration has been performed in cooperation with the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) – the design group of the Light Combat Aircraft.

The I-Derby is equipped with a new seeker that employs an advanced solid-state Software Defined Radar (SDR), based according to the Israeli company on combat-proven technology.

According to Rafael, the range of the I-Derby ER is 100 km and it can be carried on rail launchers or on a “shove” pyrotechnic launcher that kicks the missile off the fighter aircraft fuselage and only then its motor ignites. This mode enables to carry the missile on center hard-points or these that are located near the fighter’s CFT’s.

Other weapons systems to be evaluated by the Indian DRDO include the Rafael Spice family of smart bombs.