Israel’s missile systems, developed by local defense firms and praised globally, has officially caught India’s power-hungry attention. Reports suggest that New Delhi is now in advanced talks to produce Israeli Air LOng Range Artillery (LORA) missiles after the Rampage’s strong performance during Operation Sindoor.
Apparently, the missile performed so well that India now wants to build its own version. The logic seems simple enough: if it works for Israel, it should work for India too. After all, what could go wrong with reproducing high-tech missiles in bulk? Israel’s Rampage system proved its power in Operation Sindoor according to Indian sources, earning bragging rights in a dogfight against neighboring Pakistan. India is reportedly planning to produce the Air LORA missiles domestically, possibly through a licensing or joint venture deal.
To acquire enhanced long-range strike capabilities at a time when regional security is increasingly volatile, is not going to bring peace in South Asia any time soon. However, it will not stop India any time soon. The Rampage and Air LORA missiles will allow Indian forces to hit deep strategic targets with precision, giving the country an important tactical advantage in deterrence and rapid-response scenarios in the region.
The Indian Air Force already operates the Rampage missile on its Su-30 MKI, MiG-29, and Jaguar aircraft, meaning integration of these systems will be quick and efficient. ndia is aiming to bring compatibility with Air LORA, bypassing the need for costly modifications or retraining.
Beyond the battlefield, the deal also strengthens India’s long-standing defense partnership with Israel. Over the years, Israel has become one of India’s key suppliers of advanced defense technology, and this collaboration further deepens that alliance.
The acquisition also aligns with India’s “Make in India” initiative. While the first phase involves direct procurement, future plans include local production and co-development, which would boost India’s domestic defense manufacturing ecosystem. That means more jobs, more innovation, and less dependency on foreign imports in the long run.
The Rampage’s precision strike capabilities and resistance to modern countermeasures also fill a critical gap in India’s arsenal, especially as regional adversaries continue to upgrade their own missile and air defense systems. In a world where reaction time and accuracy can decide outcomes, these new systems could be game-changers.
When another country buys your defense system, it confirms that you’ve made something worth showing off. For India, it reinforces its goal of reducing import dependency while upgrading military capabilities.
LORA kicked off its development journey back in 2002. The missile boasts an impressive range of 400 kilometers (about 250 miles) and achieves a circular error probable (CEP) of just 10 meters (33 feet) by utilizing a mix of GPS and television for its terminal guidance. It’s designed to be launched from within a standard intermodal container on ships. In June 2024, an air-launched version known as Air LORA was introduced to the world, which is now what India is eyeing at.
For Pakistan and the rest of the world, it should come as a reminder that while citizens grapple with inflation, energy costs, and climate change in the subcontinent, the global arms industry continues to measure progress in payload size and speed.
While it may seem groundbreaking, Air LORA missiles are not dynamic-changing by any means. Compared to hypersonic missiles like Kinzhal (2,000km) or DF-17, its 400km is plain mid-range. Even BrahMos fares better: while the Indian-Russian joint venture missile is supersonic cruise with sea-skimming, better for anti-ship, Air LORA is more land-attack focused.
There are still a few question marks. Will India’s factories be ready to handle large-scale production? Will the export version of the missile perform as well as Israel’s own? And most importantly, do we really need more missiles when the next war will probably be fought with drones and disinformation?
Most importantly, how will India use these missiles in the region? These questions remain hung in painful silence as South Asia struggles to achieve any meaningful reasoning and discourse for peace.