Context: Recently,  Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully flight-tested the indigenously-developed RudraM-II air-to-surface missile from a Su-30 MKI fighter jet off Odisha coast. 

About RudraM-II

• RudraM-II is a solid-propelled air-to-surface anti-radiation supersonic missile indigenously developed by DRDO.

Key Features

• The missile has a peak speed of Mach 5.5 (5.5 times the speed of sound).

• It is capable of carrying a payload of up to 200 kg i.e., explosives. 

• This missile can be launched from a height of 3 to 15 km and has a range of 300-350 kilometres. 

• The internal guidance system of the missile allows it to direct itself toward the target after the launch. 

• This missile is capable of destroying aircraft hangars, bunkers and airstrips. It is designed to target enemy ground radars (surveillance, tracking) and communication stations in Suppression of Enemy Air Defence (SEAD) missions. 

• RudraM-II is the latest version of Mark-1 which was tested four years ago.

• RudraM-1 version was test-fired from Sukhoi in 2020 off the east coast of Odisha.

• Mark-1 version has a range of 100-150 km and can reach speeds of Mach 2 (two times the speed of sound). It has a launch altitude range of 1 km to 15 km. 

• India currently operates the Russian Kh-31, an anti-radiation missile. The RudraM missiles will replace the Kh-31s.

Significance

• The flight-test met all the trial objectives, validating the propulsion system and control & guidance algorithm. The successful test consolidated the role of RudraM-II as a force multiplier to the Indian armed forces. 

Anti-Radiation Missile

• Anti-Radiation Missile (ARM) is a type of air-to-surface missile that is designed to home in on and destroy enemy radar systems and communication stations.

• Targeting: ARMs use onboard sensors to detect and track the electromagnetic emissions from enemy radar systems. They can then home in on these emissions to destroy the radar installation. 

• Propulsion: ARMs typically use solid-fuel rocket propulsion to provide the speed and range needed to reach distant targets. 

• Guidance: Most modern ARMs use passive radar homing to guide themselves to the target. This means they do not emit any of their own radar signals, making them harder to detect and jam.

• Warhead: The warhead on an ARM is designed to disable or destroy the targeted radar system, often through a combination of blast and fragmentation effects.