India’s cutting-edge Suryastra rocket launcher recently raised many eyebrows when its first image went viral, not for its 300-kilometre precision strike capability, but for the menacing conical mock-ups adorning its pods.
India’s first indigenously produced universal multi-calibre MLRS, developed by NIBE Limited in collaboration with Israel’s Elbit Systems, was unveiled amid a ₹293 crore ($32 Million) emergency contract with the Indian Army. The system is based on the proven Israeli PULS platform and boasts striking capabilities of up to 300 kilometres.
Its development is significant as it promises improvement in the Army’s deep-strike artillery firepower and operational reach amid burgeoning security threats from China and Pakistan.
Notably, the image of the system, published by The Hindu for the first time, has drawn significant attention.
The launcher is mounted on a 6×6 high-mobility chassis produced locally in India. It demonstrates the system’s multi-calibre capability by carrying four 306mm guided rockets comparable to Israel’s EXTRA family, with a range of up to 150 kilometres, and two larger 370mm missiles identified as Predator Hawk tactical ballistic missiles, with a range of up to 300 kilometres.
Yet, the conical tips of the rockets (painted red and white bolted directly onto the missile transport-launch containers) have sparked more buzz than the system’s advanced features. These are likely visual enhancers for the display that are likely installed to make the system look more “intimidating.”
The conical mock-ups attached to the launch tubes are customary display elements used during unveilings or parades. They simulate protruding missiles to enhance the system’s intimidating appearance, a common practice in defence exhibitions worldwide to emphasise threat potential and visual impact.
However, the observation may remind many of a hilarious scene from the 2012 satirical comedy The Dictator, starring Sacha Baron Cohen as Admiral General Aladeen, the over-the-top dictator of the fictional country Wadiya.
In this early scene in the film, Aladeen visits his top nuclear scientist, Nadal, to inspect progress on Wadiya’s first nuclear missile.
However, when he sees the warhead, he’s hilariously outraged because the top is rounded instead of sharp/pointy. “It is too round on the top. It needs to be pointy. Round is not scary. Pointy is scary,” Aladeen said.
To this, the nuclear scientist Nadal replies, “No, Supreme Leader. The shape of the missile’s top has nothing to do with aerodynamics. It is about the payload delivery.”
It appears Indian designers agree with the Supreme Leader!
While we don’t know whether that was the intention behind installing the conical mock-ups, the human reaction to shapes is supposedly rooted in psychology.
Pointed shapes generally signal looming harm, triggering a reaction akin to that of spears, arrows, fangs, claws, or knives. In contrast, rounded or blunt forms appear softer, harmless, or defensive.
Over decades of seeing these in photos, news, and parades, the pointed shape has become a visual shorthand for “high-speed, precision, destructive power.”
However, the visual appeal has nothing to do with the Suryastra rocket system’s capabilities, which certainly represent a breakthrough for Indian artillery.
Suryastra MLRS
Suryastra is India’s first indigenous universal multi-calibre long-range rocket launcher system, designed for precision surface-to-surface strikes against enemy targets. It is based on the Israeli company’s Precise and Universal Launching System (PULS) multiple rocket launcher (MRL).
The initial agreement signed between Indiana and an Israeli firm last year included the transfer of technology (ToT) to the Indian manufacturer, which gave a massive boost to the ‘Make in India’ initiative and enhanced domestic manufacturing capabilities. The large order placed by the Indian Army has demonstrated the system’s efficacy.
Designed for maximum flexibility, PULS supports a range of rocket calibres, enabling operators to choose different munitions based on mission requirements. For instance, it can launch 122 mm rockets with a range of 40 kilometres; 160 mm rockets with a range of 45 kilometres; 306 mm rockets with a range of 150 kilometres; and Heavy rockets and missiles like the EXTRA and Predator Hawk, capable of 300 kilometres of range.
With a circular error probability (CEP) of less than 5 meters during testing, the system, designed to engage multiple targets simultaneously at different ranges, achieves high accuracy. To increase operational flexibility, the same launcher may also fire loitering munitions up to 100 kilometres.
PULS features a modular architecture and a platform-neutral design. It can be installed on 4×4, 6×6, and 8×8 wheeled or tracked chassis.
Additionally, it is intended to be integrated with national fire-control systems, enabling user nations to select and employ their own weaponry. The system can operate across a range of settings, including large deserts, urban areas, and rugged mountainous regions.
The PULS has a low maintenance cost due to its commonalities across platforms, which reduce training and spare parts costs.
Notably, the PULS System can be integrated into existing command-and-control networks or operate autonomously, receiving targeting data directly from UAVs, radar, or forward observers. It is, thus, tailored for modern warfare, offering precision, rapid deployment, and adaptability across various platforms and combat scenarios.
With automated reloading for prolonged operations, it can complete a shooting mission in less than a minute.
It integrates advanced C4I (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence) systems and supports network-centric warfare. Additionally, it incorporates advanced countermeasures and loitering munitions for real-time battlefield assessment.
The PULS system has proven to be a viable alternative to HIMARS. For example, countries such as the Netherlands and Germany selected PULS because it offered a faster delivery timeline than HIMARS. Moreover, this Israeli system offers similar capabilities at a more affordable price and with additional features.
India currently operates the Pinaka MBRLS (Multiple Barrel Rocket Launcher System), a free-flight artillery rocket system for area bombardment. A single Pinaka system fires 12 rockets from a multi-barrel launcher in 44 seconds, while a battery can fire 72 rockets.
The 214mm bore Pinaka Mk-1 rocket has a payload of 100 kilograms and can be fitted with various warheads, such as anti-tank mines and blast-cum-pre-fragmented high explosives. The Pinaka Mk 1 has a range of 37.5 kilometres. Meanwhile, Pinaka Mk 2 214 mm rockets feature a 250-kilogram warhead and have an enhanced range of over 60 kilometres, and the Pinaka Extended Range (ER) variant has a range of 60-90 kilometres.
Despite these cutting-edge capabilities and its successful combat record, Pinaka lacks the universal launch capability or the range that matches the PULS.
Therefore, its adoption will help address capability gaps. More importantly, though, Suryastra could complement Pinaka by offering longer-range missiles and loitering munitions, creating a layered artillery capability that will significantly enhance the Indian Army’s firepower.
However, the PULS system is set to challenge Pinaka, which received its first export order in November 2024. Notably, India has been promoting Pinaka, an MBLRS system often compared to the combat-hardened HIMARS, into the export market, but the adoption and domestic manufacture of PULS may threaten those objectives in the long term.
- Contact the author at sakshi.tiwari13 (at) outlook.com
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