CATS Hunter, developed byHindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), is India’s first powerful new cruise missile with outstanding swarm capabilities.
This missile has been designed in such a way that it makes Indian Air Force (IAF) all the more stronger by allowing it to hit enemy targets from a long distance while keeping the pilot safe.
Most striking feature of this cruise missile is its swarm technology, which means that several missiles can together, share information, and choose targets on their own.
Hence, this missile system helps the missiles to avoid enemy defenses and ensures a successful strike. It is a prominent step forward in India’s Defence Technology in boosting precision strike power.
CATS Hunter - IAF’s New Edge in Swarm Capabilities
A game-changing missile CATS Hunter, is being developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to boost the Indian Air Force's ability to carry out precision air strikes.
This new missile is India’s answer to advanced cruise missiles used by global militaries but with a futuristic twist and therefore has been nicknamed as “DESI SCALP”.
The CATS Hunter is a stealthy, subsonic cruise missile which means that it can fly below the speed of sound and is hard to detect on radar.
This missile can be launched from several IAF fighter jets, including the Su-30MKI, Rafale, and even India’s own Tejas Mk14 and Mk2 in future. It allows Indian jets to strike deep into enemy territory with a range of 250 to 350 kilometres, while staying far away from danger zones.
It uses a turbojet engine (PTAE-7), which is India’s own, and flies close to the ground to avoid radar detection. Its low radar visibility helps it to sneak past enemy defenses thereby making it a powerful tool for surprise, long-range attacks.
The most striking feature of this missile is its swarm capabilities which is something that no Indian missile has had before. These capabilities include:- Multiple CATS Hunter missiles can be launched together or from different aircraft. These missiles talk to each other, sharing information in real-time, once they’re in air. They decide on their own which missile will hit which target , therefore there is no need for each missile to be pre-programmed for a specific one. If one missile is destroyed, another can automatically take its place. If one finishes its mission early, it can help strike another target by making sure every missile counts. This kind of smart teamwork increases the chance of a successful strike as it confuses and overwhelms enemy air defenses. HAL stated that CATS Hunter, in the early stages of development, might have a reusable feature. It could return to friendly territory and land safely using a parachute if the missile’s target has already been destroyed by another missile. Hence, it is not clear if this feature will be included in the version or not as HAL is more focused on extending range and improving its swarm abilities thereby choosing greater firepower over reusability. Presently, IAF is using the French-made SCALP missile, but that can only be launched from the Rafale jet. On the contrary, the CATS Hunter can be used by multiple types of Indian aircraft, giving the air force greater flexibility and reach across its feet. The CATS Hunter could become a major boost for India’s air strike power with its stealth, smart coordination and multi-platform capability, as it is capable of executing complex missions while keeping the pilots safe.
