By using its fleet of C-130J Super Hercules military transport aircraft to drop loitering weapons, the Indian Air Force (IAF) hopes to pioneer a revolutionary tactical breakthrough. The United States Air Force (USAF) is already investigating this idea, which has the potential to revolutionize the IAF’s offensive capabilities.
Kamikaze drones, another name for loitering munitions, are tiny unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) fitted with explosives. They have the ability to hover above a space for long stretches of time, looking for an opportunity to strike.
A private enterprise and the IAF are working together to construct a “glider mother ship Pod.” This pod would be fired from the C-130 and hold three to four loitering munitions. After taking off, the pod would separate and the explosives within would detach, increasing their range from 100 km to 200 km.
Their increased range enables them to strike their targets after moving farther into enemy airspace. Moreover, these pods pose a greater challenge to adversarial air defense systems. It gets harder to take out the entire swarm when numerous loitering munitions are launched from a single pod.
A single C-130 could carry up to 30 of these pods, officials told the media, equivalent to a launch capacity of 90–120 loitering munitions. With the 12 C-130s in the IAF’s fleet, this idea might quickly result in the discharge of more than 500 loitering munitions. This ability to swarm might overwhelm hostile air defenses and drastically change the tactical situation.
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The IAF is investigating the use of loitering weapons from C-130 military transport planes which represents a major advancement in contemporary warfare strategies. The IAF seeks to improve its overall mission effectiveness, operational flexibility, and response time by utilizing the strategic advantages of airborne deployment.
India’s dedication to independence and innovation in defense technology is demonstrated by its partnership with regional defense firms in the development and application of this capability. With more work to be done on this idea, the IAF will have a revolutionary tactical advantage in future battles.
