The Indian Air Force (IAF) recently conducted a successful test firing of a new iteration of an air-launched medium-range ballistic missile, known as ROCKS or Crystal Maze 2. Originating from Israel, the missile underwent testing from a Su-30 MKI fighter jet stationed in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands last week.
Sources within the defence establishment revealed that this missile boasts an impressive strike range exceeding 250 km, enabling it to target enemy long-range radar systems and air defence installations effectively.
The IAF's future plans include the mass production of these missiles as part of the Make in India initiative, leveraging the technology transfer from Israel. This new generation air-to-surface missile, designated as CM-2, is specifically designed to engage high-value stationary and relocatable targets in GPS-denied environments, akin to those encountered during the Kargil conflict.
Equipped with options for either a penetration or blast fragmentation warhead, the missile is adept at neutralizing both above-ground and well-fortified underground targets, even within heavily defended areas protected by surface-to-air missile systems.
The deployment strategy for ROCKS involves launching the missile from a safe distance outside the range of enemy air defences, followed by a high-velocity flight path to minimize the risk to the launching aircraft and missiles themselves.
