The experience of combat operations in Ukraine and the Middle East has shown that short-range ballistic missiles have become a defining and most difficult weapon to intercept in modern conflicts.
Considering the experience of the war in Ukraine, the world is betting on quasi-ballistic short-range missiles.
In recent years, global military experts have recognized short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) as the main striking force on the modern battlefield. This type of armament has demonstrated high effectiveness and speed. Such missiles easily penetrate the most modern Western air defense systems due to their unpredictability.
The Times of India writes about this.
Why are these missiles almost impossible to shoot down?
Combat practice shows that intercepting SRBMs remains one of the most complex challenges for any air defense system. Longer-range missiles fly in a completely predictable arc. In contrast, short-range systems spend significantly less time in the exoatmospheric phase.
This leaves defenders with a critically small window to detect, track, and destroy such a target. The massive use of Iskander-M missiles by Russia against Ukrainian command posts and logistics hubs vividly demonstrated this in practice. Similarly, Iranian strikes on Israel severely tested the advanced Iron Dome and Arrow systems.
The situation becomes even more complicated when an army uses quasi-ballistic missiles. They are capable of actively maneuvering in the terminal phase of their trajectory. Anti-missile systems simply do not have time to calculate a trajectory to hit a target that constantly changes course in the final seconds before impact.
New developments against the backdrop of a global threat
Given this trend, the world’s leading countries are actively developing their own quasi-ballistic systems. For example, India recently unveiled the new Pralay tactical ballistic missile. This weapon is intended to fill a gap in the country’s non-nuclear deterrence system.
The Indian development uses solid fuel and is based on mobile road launchers. It is capable of performing complex maneuvers in the terminal phase of flight. This places it on par with the Russian Iskander and the Chinese Dongfeng-12 missile.
Such missiles have a range of 150 to 500 kilometers and carry a warhead weighing up to 1000 kilograms. They become an ideal tool for the rapid destruction of airfields, radar stations, and command centers. Analysts are confident that it is the combination of speed and warhead maneuverability that makes short-range missiles the most effective weapon of modern warfare.
Recall that the launchers of Russian Iskander ballistic missiles are extremely difficult to destroy due to their high mobility. They arrive under the cover of darkness or in cloudy weather, and after launching a missile, they instantly pack up and leave the position.
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