Force Multipliers – Long Way To Go

The present holdings of force multipliers are enough for limited engagements such as the Balakot airstrike, while a wider conflict would reveal the paucity of these assets in pitiless detail.

- Joseph Noronha

AN AERIAL STRIKE AGAINST A HIGH-VALUE TARGET IS A precisely tailored and carefully choreographed affair with every element assigned a crucial role. For instance, during the Balakot airstrike conducted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in the early hours of February 26, 2019, twelve Mirage 2000 jets forming the strike element were naturally the stars of the show. But the heavily laden aircraft could count on agile Sukhoi Su-30MKI aircraft for air defense cover. They were also supported by several force multipliers during their mission.

First, the Ilyushin Il-78M Flight Refuelling Aircraft (FRA) that replenished the jets, enabled them to follow a circuitous route to the target and thereby achieve surprise. Second, a Phalcon Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) mounted on an Ilyushin Il-76TD aircraft as well as a smaller indigenous Netra AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning and Control) system mounted on an Embraer ERJ 145 aircraft were invaluable to vector the strike force towards the target as well as to track possible threats from Pakistani interceptor jets. Third, an IAI Heron unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) provided additional surveillance. Fourth, satellites were probably involved to facilitate secure communications. And finally, it was the Rafael SPICE (Smart, Precise Impact, Cost-Effective) EO/GPS guidance kit that converted the Mirage’s unguided bombs into Precision Guided Munitions (PGM) to hit the target with deadly accuracy.

INADEQUATE ASSETS