Why HAL’s Tie-Up with Russia’s Yakovlev Makes Sense

Yak-42 Photo Credit: Konstantin Nikiforov 

 

According to The Economic Times, Russian aerospace company and aircraft manufacturer Yakovlev has signed a preliminary agreement with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

Commenting on the development, Alexander Dolotovsky, Deputy General Director of Yakovlev, declined to share specific details but noted that the agreement marks the beginning of a significant collaboration.

HAL’s tie-up with Yakovlev may appear perplexing to many. The following background helps put it into perspective.

Historically, Yakovlev has developed both military and commercial aircraft. Military aircraft developed since its founding in 1930 include:

Yak-38 “Forger”: A VTOL, carrier-based fighter inducted in 1975, and the Soviet Navy’s first operational VTOL jet.

Yak-38 Forger Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Yak-130: A modern advanced jet trainer/light attack aircraft introduced in 2002. Developed jointly with Italy’s Aermacchi, the Yak-130 is a lead-in fighter trainer and has been widely exported.

On the commercial side, Yakovlev developed the Yak-40, the world’s first regional turbojet airliner, which entered service in 1966. This three-engine short-haul aircraft could carry 32 passengers and was certified to Western standards. Over 1,000 units were built, and the aircraft was widely exported.

The Yak-40 was followed by the Yak-42, a short-haul trijet airliner introduced in 1976 with seating for up to 120 passengers.

In recent months, Russian media and aviation outlets have reported that some Russian airlines are considering resuming operations of “mothballed” Soviet-era Yak-42 aircraft to cope with a severe shortage of airliners, following the grounding of Western-made aircraft due to sanctions.

Today, Yakovlev is actively involved in the development of both the MS-21 medium-haul airliner and the SJ-100 regional airliner.

As widely reported, on January 28, 2026, Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) and India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) signed a joint agreement governing cooperation in the production of the Superjet 100 (SJ-100) in India. Under this agreement, UAC will grant HAL a license to manufacture and sell the SJ-100, including components, parts, and spare parts required for maintenance and repair.

The Superjet Design Bureau that developed the SJ-100 was integrated into Yakovlev in 2020.

Yakovlev is also likely overseeing the substitution of imported components with domestic analogues for both the MS-21 and SJ-100. Consequently, Yakovlev’s technical and programmatic inputs will be critical to the success of HAL’s local production efforts.

IAF Signals Hypersonic Ambitions With IISc-Led Propulsion Challenge

A Gemini rendition of the launch of a S-200 with a DMRJ powered curise missile

The Indian Air Force on January 29, 2026 signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA)  with the Foundation for Science Innovation and Development (FSID), IISc Bengaluru to indigenously develop an advanced high-speed air-breathing propulsion system.

Announcing the MoA, the IAF's official X handle stated that the MoA "underscores IAF’s commitment towards Atmanirbharta by development of high-speed flight systems with dual-use capabilities."

Copies of documents and diagrams posted on social media and associated with the MoA indicate that the proposed “advanced high-speed air-breathing propulsion system” is a dual-mode ramjet/scramjet engine (DMRJ), intended for use in propelling missiles or combat aircraft.

DRDO has already developed ramjet and scramjet engines for missiles. The former operate efficiently at high supersonic speeds and the latter operate efficiently through hypersonic speeds. 

DMRJ Engines Explained

In a ramjet engine the air entering the engine is slowed to subsonic speed and consequently compressed before combustion. In a scramjet engine, the air is similarly slowed down and compressed but remains supersonic throughout the combustor. 

Ramjet engines operate efficiently roughly from Mach 3 to Mach 6. Scramjet engines are needed for speeds beyond Mach 6–7

DMRJ, which combines ramjet and scramjet propulsion, can operate efficiently across a very wide supersonic to hypersonic speed envelope by switching how combustion occurs inside the engine.

DMRJ Development Status

The DMRJ concept has been tested but never operationalised.

Russia reportedly tested a hydrogen-fueled dual-mode scramjet  developed by the Central Institute of Aviation Motors (CIAM) in the 1990s under (Kholod Project). 

It modified a 5V28 missile from the S-200 long-range air defence system, replacing the warhead and guidance system with a DMRJ and its liquid hydrogen fuel tank.

To test a DMRJ, it first has to be accelerated to high supersonic speeds that can facilitate ramjet light-up. The S-200 is a heavy missile with a launch weight exceeding 7,000 kg and substantial payload capacity. The S-200’s solid boosters and liquid-fueled sustainer were well suited to accelerating the payload to hypersonic velocities. This modified S-200 served as a cost-effective, readily available booster, leveraging existing infrastructure.

Boosted to high speeds by the missile’s liquid rocket motor, the DMRJ successfully transitioned from ramjet propulsion to scramjet propulsion, achieving speeds over Mach 6.4, with scramjet mode sustained for 77 seconds across seven flight tests (1991–1998).

Russia used the data gathered from these tests to develop the 3M22 Zircon, which can achieve speeds near Mach 8. However, the Zircon uses a scramjet engine not a DMRJ. It is boosted to hypersonic speed directly by its solid-propellant rocket booster. 

Similarly, DRDO’s Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV) and its follow-up system under development, the Extended Trajectory–Long Distance Hypersonic Cruise Missile (ET-LDHCM), both use scramjet propulsion, not DMRJ.

DMRJ Limitation

A notable limitation of a DMRJ is its inability to operate from zero airspeed. It needs to be accelerated to a high airspeed that can generate air compression due to airflow path constriction. To overcome this limitation, a dual-mode ramjet (DMRJ) can be paired with a rocket booster when used in a hypersonic cruise missile. 

For use in a combat aircraft, the DMRJ is paired with a turbine engine in what is called a Turbine-Based Combined Cycle (TBCC) architecture.

In a TBCC-powered combat aircraft, at speeds below ~Mach 2.5 to 5, a turbofan or turbojet provides thrust. The turbine is then shut down and bypassed, and the DMRJ takes over propulsion.

Combining a turbine with a DMRJ allows a combat aircraft to take off conventionally using a turbine engine and then accelerate all the way to hypersonic speeds.

Using TBCC propulsion, a combat aircraft can take off and loiter at subsonic cruise. When desired, it can accelerate to supersonic speeds using its turbine engine and then switch to DMRJ propulsion for sustained hypersonic cruise. Such a flight profile is impossible with a pure DMRJ + rocket booster combination.

TBCC Challenges

Ramjets, scramjets, and DMRJs are conceptually and mechanically relatively simple to build, as they involve no moving parts. However, the materials and techniques required to sustain supersonic and hypersonic combustion do pose significant challenges.

While a DMRJ can be combined with a turbine engine in a TBCC configuration, the engineering challenges are extremely complex, and the concept remains experimental.

The air flowing into a turbine engine has to be subsonic and at relatively low temperatures, whereas the airflow in a DMRJ has to be supersonic and at very high temperatures.

As such, the two engines share the inlet and nozzle, but not the combustor.

Smoothly switching from turbine to ramjet and then to scramjet operation is a particularly major challenge. Any pressure mismatch can cause the engine to fail to start or experience flameout.

Conclusion

As already noted, the engineering challenges of building a reliable ramjet that can transition to scramjet mode within the form factor of a compact missile fare immense.

While standalone scramjet and ramjet missiles exist or are being developed, true DMRJ designs remain in research and flight test demonstration programs rather than fielded systems

As already noted, there are no operational missiles powered by DMRJ propulsion, let alone the even more complex TBCC architecture.

Viewed in this light, the IAF’s MoA with IISc is clearly aimed at funding long-term research. This investment is unlikely to yield operational benefits for the IAF for at least a decade.

IISc has actively participated in the HSTDV programme, which successfully met its stated objectives. It therefore possesses the experience and technical depth required to undertake the development of DMRJ propulsion, and eventually progress to TBCC systems.

Supporting long-term technology development is, without doubt, a sound approach for the IAF.

However, there also appears to be a subtle but important message in the IAF’s tie-up with IISc:

While the IAF is willing to invest in future technologies, its immediate operational requirements cannot wait. These must be met through fast-paced procurement, preferably from domestic OEMs, but where necessary through foreign partnerships that guarantee continuity of support and supply.

Is DRDO Overprojecting Project Kusha to Undercut Local S-400 Manufacturing?

Conceptual view of a deployed Kusha system

The Indian mainstream media, ever inclined to hype and sensationalise defence-related news, is at it again. This time, the focus is on Project Kusha.

Media professionals, lacking deep enough insight into weapon systems, are hyping DRDO claims about the capabilities of Project Kusha and its projected development timelines, instead of critically questioning the claims.

Let us first understand what Project Kusha is and then see for ourselves whether DRDO claims are realistic.

Project Kusha: Conceptual Overview

Based on statements by DRDO officials, Project Kusha is an Integrated Air Defence System (IADS) that is conceptually similar to the Russian S-300, S-350, S-400 and S-500 systems.

An IADS provides layered (short, medium- and long-range) defence against a wide spectrum of aerial threats, ranging from medium-sized drones and helicopters to cruise missiles, fighters, aerial force multipliers such as tankers, AWACS and ISR platforms, as well as short- and medium-range ballistic missiles.

Russia is the only country in the world that has so far developed full-spectrum IADS. The Indian Air Force (IAF) is in the process of procuring the S-400 system from Russia. The three systems already acquired proved very effective during Operation Sindoor. The S-400’s track record during the ongoing war in Ukraine has also been impressive.

Understandably, the Indian defence media was elated when DRDO announced in 2025 that it would be developing an IADS. The media went overboard, projecting Kusha not just as an S-400 analogue but as an S-500 analogue. The former claim was a stretch; the latter, a joke. 

A major difference between the S-400 and the S-500 is that the latter is capable of engaging hypersonic aerial threats. India will first need to operationally deploy a hypersonic manoeuvring missile before it can develop an interceptor for such a missile. At this point in time, we are well short of that capability.

Emboldened by the puerility of media questioning, DRDO officials have put forward extraordinarily ambitious timelines for Project Kusha—timelines that bear little resemblance to past performance.

Kusha capabilities

As noted earlier, Kusha is an integrated air defence system, broadly comparable to the S-400, and is designed to employ a layered mix of short-, medium- and long-range interceptor missiles.

The single-stage short-range Kusha interceptor, designated Mk-1 and having a range of approximately 50–60 km, forms the core of all three missile variants.

The medium-range (Kusha Mk-2) and long-range (Kusha Mk-3) variants build upon this core interceptor by adding a booster stage, making them two-stage interceptors. The two variants differ primarily in the diameter of the booster stage.

Development Progress

At this point in time, the Kusha IADS exists only as a concept, and the Kusha Mk-1 most likely as a designed and wind-tunnel-tested model.

According to an HT report, the first development trials of Kusha Mk-1 are expected to take place in September this year. DRDO expects the Kusha Mk-1 to be inducted as a standalone short-range missile system by 2028.

Development trials of both Kusha Mk-2 and Kusha Mk-3 are projected to start in 2027.

In other words, the three missiles will be developed on parallel tracks after the Mk-1 interceptor has demonstrated the efficacy of its design.

Based on the HT report, DRDO appears to be projecting that by 2030, Kusha will be ready as an IADS with three different interceptor missiles covering ranges from 50 to 400 km.

This projection is certainly not backed by DRDO’s past record in operationalising indigenously developed air defence missile systems, nor does it have a global precedent. The claim is so divergent from reality that it can only be explained as an attempt to scuttle the local manufacture of S-400 system components.

DRDO has done well with recent missile projects such as Akash Prime and Akash NG, but nowhere near well enough to enable it to develop the Kusha system within five years. 

Akash Prime

Akash Prime is an incremental upgrade of the Akash missile in which an active seeker replaces the passive seeker of the Akash. Other improvements include a mobile launcher and more reliable performance under low temperature environments at higher altitudes. The missile reportedly has a longer engagement range of 40-km

The maiden test of the Akash Prime missile was done on September 27, 2021. During the test the missile successfully intercepted and destroyed an unmanned aerial target. Five years since its maiden test,  the missile has yet to be operationally inducted.

Akash NG

Akash NG was first mooted in 2010. The DRDO had then projected a development time of just 18 months. Notably, the claim notwithstanding, the DRDO was yet to develop a RF seeker for any missile at that point of time. 

The project was sanctioned in September 2016 after DRDO acquired RF seeker technology with help from Russia. 

The missile was first tested on January 25, 2021, using an electronic target to validate its ability to engage a hard manoeuvring target.

The missile was tested for the second time on July 21, 2021, once again without its active seeker, against an electronic target. Subsequent phased testing progressively demonstrated all design capabilities of the missile.

Following flight testing on December 24, 2024 DRDO announced that the missile system had “successfully intercepted aerial targets at different ranges and altitudes, including near-boundary low-altitude and long-range, high-altitude scenarios.”

The test marked the successful completion of User Evaluation Trials of the missile, meeting all PSQR requirements. However, till today, the missile is yet to be inducted into operational service. 

In an earlier blog post, I had praised DRDO's development of a new clean sheet, dual pulse motor missile with an active seeker and a very capable radar in just around 10 years. 

Conclusion

The IAF needs a proven IADS now, not in the future. This was shockingly evident during Operation Sindoor. One only needs to close one’s eyes and relive the operation hour by hour, day by day, to realise how badly we could have been mauled had the IAF not operationally deployed its S-400 regiments.

DRDO’s projections that it will be able to develop three different variants of Kusha interceptor missiles within the next four to five years are overly optimistic at best.

Possibly, this is a disingenuous attempt to prevent the IAF from taking up local manufacture of the S-400 system.

From DRDO’s point of view, local manufacture of the S-400 or S-500 system would dramatically reduce the market size for its Kusha system, as and when it is fully developed.

However, DRDO needs to tread with caution. In the past, capability overprojections have resulted in a precipitous drop in IAF squadron strength. As a result of this decline, the IAF is now more heavily reliant on air defence than it has ever been in the past.

While there can be no doubt that the IAF should look at domestic options despite limited capability shortfalls, there can also be no doubt that such compromises should not enfeeble the IAF to an extent where it loses its deterrent capability. DRDO must keep the national interest in mind to the same extent that it expects the IAF to do so.

Overstating its capabilities and projecting unrealistic timelines to secure the only market segment it is capable of competing in is not the right approach.

HAL Bets on Locally Produced Russian SJ-100 as Udan Workhorse

Ahead of the Wings India 2026 air show in Hyderabad from January 28 to 31, HAL has released a video promoting the Russian short-haul airliner SJ-100 as a game changer for short-haul connectivity under India's UDAN scheme.

HAL will showcase its growing civil portfolio at @WingsIndia2026. Visit us at Hall A | Stall No 27.
Centre-stage: H-228 commuter aircraft, Dhruv NG helicopter & the SJ-100 regional jet, which will make its debut. pic.twitter.com/8OR2ShuWtz

— HAL (@HALHQBLR) January 23, 2026

HAL intends to locally manufacture the complete aircraft in India in partnership with Public Joint Stock Company United Aircraft Corporation (PJSC-UAC). The two companies signed an MoU for production of the aircraft in Moscow, Russia, on October 27, 2025.

The partnership is intended to be a landmark event in the civil aviation sector, fulfilling India’s ambition to build commercial aircraft.

The SJ-100 is a twin-engine, narrow-body aircraft. As of date, more than 200 aircraft have been produced and are being operated by more than 16 commercial airline operators.

According to the HAL video, the SJ-100 features state-of-the-art avionics, fly-by-wire controls, unmatched aerodynamics, a new PD-8 engine, wingtip vertical winglets, and lower fuel burn.

SJ-100 Development History

In 2000, Russia’s Sukhoi started development of the country’s first airliner—the Sukhoi Superjet SJ-100. The pace of development of the regional jet was impressive: the SJ-100 made its maiden flight on May 19, 2008, and its first commercial flight on April 21, 2011.

The aircraft was powered by two 77–79 kN PowerJet SaM146 turbofans developed by a joint venture between French Safran and Russian NPO Saturn. It typically seated 87 to 98 passengers.

Western Sanctions

In early 2022, the US and its Western allies imposed sanctions that brought collaboration between Russian and Western commercial aviation entities to a complete halt. The intent was to derail Russian commercial aviation. It didn’t work.

Russia’s partly revived industry immediately hunkered down to continue development and production of the SJ-100 regional airliner and the MS-21 medium-haul airliner. An immediate decision was taken to substitute Western engines and airframe components in the two aircraft with domestically developed analogs.

On April 7, 2022, Russia’s Prime Minister, Mikhail Mishustin, directed that the substitution of domestic assemblies be completed within 2–3 years, with the percentage of domestic components in the MS-21 reaching 97% by 2022–2024, making it independent of imported equipment.

Domestic Power Plant

With considerable foresight, the Russian leadership had already initiated development of state-of-the-art commercial aircraft engines.

In 2010, Russia’s Aviadvigatel started development of the PD-14 high-bypass turbofan engine to power the MS-21 airliner. The PD-14 was conceived as a successor to the PS-90 (which powers IAF Il-76 airlifters), and Aviadvigatel developed it as an “engine core” around which it would build other lower- or higher-thrust engines for use by Russia’s new-generation commercial airliners.

The “engine core” alludes to critical hot parts such as the high-pressure compressor, combustor, and turbine.

The letters “PD” stand for forward-looking engine, while the number 14 represents the 14-ton thrust of the engine in its basic configuration. PD-14 variants will feature thrust ranging from 8 to 18 tons.

The PD-14 is the first engine in Russia created digitally from scratch, using paperless 3D design modelling. Aviadvigatel first developed a digital twin of the engine, based on an electronic database of engineering calculations and material characteristics. The digital twin supports engine production, bench and flight tests, as well as the development of operational documents.

The PD-8 variant of the PD family was developed to power the SJ-100, replacing the PowerJet SaM146.

The imposition of Western sanctions prompted Russia to accelerate development of the PD-14 and PD-8 engines.

The airframe of the SJ-100 had to be tweaked to accommodate the PD-8 engine.

The SJ-100 made its first flight with the Russian PD-8 engine in the city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur on March 17, 2025.

The MS-21 with PD-14 engines and the SJ-100 with PD-8 engines are both currently undergoing certification trials. Series production for both, with the new all-Russian engines, is expected to start in 2026.

The PD-14 powered variant of the MS-21 is referred to as MS-21-310, and the SJ-100 with the PD-8 engine is sometimes referred to as SSJ-NEW.

Conclusion

The revival of the Russian commercial aviation industry presents Make-in-India tie-up opportunities for India. New Russian airliners are now completely Russian and technologically at par with Western analogs.

Domestic air travel in India is surging. The time is ripe for the Indian civil aviation manufacturing industry to venture into production of domestic airliners.

Under its tie-up with UAC, HAL will have the rights to manufacture SJ-100 aircraft for domestic customers.

UAC is confident that HAL will be off to a flying start with local production of the SJ-100 because of its experience producing the Su-30MKI aircraft.

In August 2023, United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) CEO Yuri Slyusar spoke with the “Russia-24” television channel about the proposed tie-up.

“We still believe that under the import licence at the HAL factory, which produces combat aircraft for the Indian Air Force—where they manufacture Su-30 aircraft, with over 270 aircraft made there—it is indeed a significant base with trained personnel, equipment, and refined processes. We could start producing SJ-100 aircraft for the Indian market there in a fairly short period of time.”

This will also be the second instance in which a complete passenger aircraft will be produced in India. The last such project was HAL’s production of the Avro HS-748, which started in 1961 and ended in 1988.

LR-AShM: India’s Hypersonic Answer to Carrier Strike Groups

Photo credit: AIR

The DRDO is set to display its most lethal non-strategic missile to date—an aircraft-carrier killer—during this year’s Republic Day parade. The Long Range Anti-Shipping Missile (LR-AShM) is a hypersonic missile being developed to arm Indian Navy (IN) coastal batteries. It is designed to ensure that no carrier group—US or Chinese—can approach within 1,500 km of the Indian coastline in an attempt to exert military pressure on the nation. Currently, IN coastal batteries are armed with BrahMos missiles.

According to the MoD press release, the missile follows a quasi-ballistic trajectory. It achieves hypersonic speeds starting at Mach 10, maintaining an average speed of around Mach 5.0 through a “multiple-skip” manoeuvre.

A quasi-ballistic trajectory differs from a ballistic trajectory. In the latter, the missile follows a largely predictable flight path. In contrast, a quasi-ballistic trajectory is inherently unpredictable. Equally important, such a trajectory allows the missile to fly at relatively low altitudes, evading detection by ground- or ship-based radars during much of its flight. The missile’s extreme speed and manoeuvrability further complicate interception.

The LR-AShM has been indigenously developed by laboratories of the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Missile Complex, Hyderabad, along with several other DRDO laboratories and industry partners.

Terminal Guidance

An anti-shipping missile carrying a conventional warhead requires extremely precise terminal guidance, given that an aircraft carrier is a fast-moving and manoeuvring target.

Typically, a long-range missile intended to strike a moving target employs a dual-mode seeker combining Active Radar Homing (ARH) and Imaging Infrared (IIR) guidance. ARH enables target acquisition and tracking in all weather and lighting conditions, while IIR facilitates target discrimination in clear weather, allowing the missile to distinguish the carrier from other warships in the strike group.

Without specifying the nature of the terminal guidance, the MoD press release states:

“Indigenously developed sensors are provided for engaging moving targets in the terminal phase.”

DRDO developed and refined its ARH capability through the BrahMos programme, particularly the land-attack variant. Similarly, it honed its IIR homing capability while developing advanced variants of its Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGMs).

Maiden Test

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted a successful flight trial of India’s first long-range hypersonic missile from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island, off the coast of Odisha, on November 16, 2024.

At the time of its maiden test, the MoD release referred to the LR-AShM simply as the Long Range Hypersonic Missile (LR-HM).

Missile Launch Video Analysis

DRDO released a video of the maiden test. The following observations are based on that footage.

As the missile emerged from its container following a cold launch, it appeared to employ its attitude-control thrusters twice before first-stage solid-rocket-motor ignition.

The missile transitioned from a vertical to a horizontal trajectory in roughly six seconds, beginning about eight seconds after liftoff. This early transition suggests the missile is designed to fly within the atmosphere for the entire duration of its flight.

The missile’s physical configuration indicates a two-stage solid-propellant design.

The first stage functions as a booster. The second stage is the hypersonic sustainer, featuring cruciform, short-span, long-chord aerodynamic surfaces along the mid-body and four short triangular fins at the aft section. The mid-body surfaces likely provide manoeuvrability and flight control, while the aft fins contribute to stability.

According to the MoD press release, the missile

“features a two-stage solid propulsion system. The first stage separates after burnout, while the second stage boosts the vehicle to hypersonic speeds before transitioning into an unpowered glide to the target.”

At hypersonic velocities, the cruciform configuration can reduce drag compared to planar wing designs.

Future Development

As stated in the MoD press release, the missile will initially be deployed with coastal batteries. A logical progression would be upgrades enabling deployment aboard IN warships and, eventually, submarines. Such deployment would push adversary carrier groups well beyond 1,500 km from India’s coastline.

The demonstrated cold-launch capability from a container strongly suggests eventual deployment on ships and potentially on future submarines.

YJ-20

China fields several ballistic missiles with hypersonic warheads capable of anti-shipping strikes, including the DF-21D (1,500 km, Mach 10), DF-26 (4,000 km, Mach 10+), DF-17 (1,800–2,500 km, Mach 5–10), and DF-27 (5,000–8,000 km, Mach 5+).

Because ballistic missiles follow relatively predictable trajectories, they can be intercepted by ship-borne air-defence systems within a carrier group.

More recently, China has fielded hypersonic quasi-ballistic anti-ship missiles, notably the YJ-20 and YJ-21, capable of launch from air, surface, and undersea platforms.

Chinese state media released footage showing a YJ-20 launch from the PLAN Type 055 destroyer Wuxi on December 28, 2025.

The YJ-20 cruises at speeds exceeding Mach 6, has a reported range of 1,500 km, and reaches terminal speeds of Mach 10. It is compact enough for air launch from the H-6K bomber and vertical launch from Type 052D and Type 055 destroyers. It may also be deployable from both nuclear- and diesel-electric-powered submarines.

Russia’s Zircon is another hypersonic anti-shipping missile deployable from ships and submarines; however, it is a scramjet-powered cruise missile, not a boost-glide system.

YJ-20 and LR-AShM Comparison

There are notable similarities between the LR-AShM and the YJ-20.

Both are hypersonic boost-glide systems designed for anti-ship roles. However, the YJ-20 employs biconic aerodynamics, likely enhancing manoeuvrability.

Both have publicly stated ranges of around 1,500 km, though actual operational ranges are likely higher.

Both achieve Mach 5+ speeds with high terminal velocities, attack targets in a near-vertical dive, and present significant interception challenges.

Conclusion

Despite its prominent display during the Republic Day parade, the LR-AShM remains in an early stage of development. It may take several years before DRDO can demonstrate the accuracy required to reliably cripple a manoeuvring aircraft carrier using a conventional warhead.

Given its intended deployment with coastal batteries, fitting a nuclear warhead is unlikely, even though the MoD press release notes that the missile “is designed to carry various payloads.”

Russian Tech Breakthroughs Enable 100 km Lancet Drone Strikes

According to a RIA Novosti report, Lancet drones are now striking targets at ranges of over 100 km.

In the past, it has been reported that the Product 51 (Lancet-3) variant of the drone has a range of 40–70 km, with an endurance of approximately 60 minutes.

The increase in range and endurance is attributed to increased battery capacity. In addition, the use of machine vision and EW-hardened SATNAV now facilitates more efficient routing to the target, effectively increasing range. 

Using machine vision, the drone can quickly recognise its target or select a target of opportunity without the need to loiter. 

According to the Russian Ministry of Defence, machine vision assisted terminal guidance facilitates strikes on stationary, moving and camouflaged targets, including artillery installations, armored vehicles and military infrastructure facilities in the depth of Ukrainian defense.

It is interesting to note that Lancet developer ZALA has focused on improving endurance and efficiency without radically altering the drone’s core design—X-shaped wings, electric propulsion, and a maximum take-off weight of around 12 kg.

Earlier this month, Alan Lushnikov, CEO of the Kalashnikov Concern, told TASS in an interview that the Skat-350M reconnaissance drone and the KUB-2 guided munition can now be integrated into a single system. When the Skat-350M spots a target, a KUB-2 is launched and then autonomously guided to the target by the Skat-350M.

This capability is part of broader integration within Russia’s unmanned systems, in which reconnaissance drones provide targeting data to strike assets. Similar integration with the Skat-350M would allow a Lancet to operate effectively at extreme ranges, such as 100 km.

The Skat-350M is an enhanced variant of the Supercam 350M.

The Skat-350M can use optical navigation and target identification in GPS-denied zones and can be controlled from well outside the battle zone, as explained in my earlier Thumkar post. Once the drone exits the jamming area, it can transmit coordinates to the kamikaze drone.

Lancet drones can also receive target coordinates from Orlan-10 drones for direct targeting.

HAL Pursuing Su-57 Joint Production Offer with Sukhoi

The Indian Express reported on January 19, 2026, that Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has tasked a Russian team with calculating the costs HAL would incur if it were to participate in a joint venture with Sukhoi to locally manufacture the Su-57. While calculating the total cost, the team will include expenses related to technology transfer (ToT), infrastructure, supply-chain development, and human resources.

Two months earlier, representatives from the Sukhoi Design Bureau and other Russian defence entities stated in a proposal to HAL that the company already possesses roughly half of the infrastructure required for the local production of the Su-57. This assessment is based on the fact that HAL has been locally manufacturing the Su-30MKI at Nashik, Maharashtra (airframe); Koraput, Odisha (engine); and Kasaragod, Kerala (avionics).

The Russian team is expected to submit its report later this month.

Indian Express sources have clarified that the Government of India (GoI) has yet to take a decision on which stealth fighter to acquire to meet the Indian Air Force’s (IAF’s) projected operational requirement of two to three squadrons of an interim stealth fighter, intended to bridge the projected 10-year gap until the induction of the AMCA.