Surgical Firepower: SCALP Cruise Missile, HAMMER, and WARMATE Transform India’s Strike Landscape

(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — In a bold and coordinated escalation of counter-terror operations, the Indian Armed Forces executed a precision strike campaign utilizing SCALP cruise missiles, HAMMER precision-guided bombs, and Polish-origin WARMATE loitering munitions against what New Delhi describes as “terror infrastructure” located in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

The operation—code-named Operation Sindoor—was launched during the late hours of the night and extended into the early morning, targeting multiple high-value militant installations associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).

The Indian government asserts that the strikes were a direct response to the recent deadly attack in Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians and security personnel, and accuses both LeT and JeM of orchestrating the cross-border assault.

Intelligence-led and standoff in nature, the strikes were designed to neutralize militant strongholds without breaching Pakistani airspace—an approach meant to minimize escalation while delivering strategic punishment.

According to field reports, nine militant-linked locations were struck, including JeM’s base in Bahawalpur and LeT’s nerve center in Muridke, both of which are considered ideological and logistical hubs for anti-India militancy.

Real-time targeting intelligence, fed through India’s robust ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) network, enabled the deployment of precision-guided munitions to surgically destroy infrastructure while avoiding collateral damage or engagement with Pakistani military units.

The use of long-range SCALP EG (Storm Shadow) cruise missiles—fired from within Indian airspace—demonstrates India’s growing reliance on high-precision, deep-strike capabilities traditionally associated with Western-style force projection.

The SCALP EG (Système de Croisière Autonome à Longue Portée – Emploi Général), co-developed by MBDA France and the United Kingdom, is a low-observable, air-launched standoff weapon designed to destroy hardened, high-value targets deep behind enemy lines.

Each SCALP missile weighs approximately 1,300 kg, with a length of 5.1 meters and a wingspan of 3 meters, making it one of the heaviest and most capable cruise missiles in the Western inventory.

Operating at subsonic speeds of Mach 0.8, the missile leverages a stealthy profile and terrain-hugging flight path to penetrate dense enemy air defence zones.

With a range of up to 560 km, the SCALP is capable of launching from Indian airspace and striking targets well into hostile territory, offering operational standoff advantages critical in heavily contested environments.

Its 450 kg BROACH warhead, employing a two-stage explosive mechanism, is engineered to punch through fortified bunkers and underground command centers with devastating lethality.

Guidance is ensured through a suite of advanced systems including Inertial Navigation System (INS), GPS, Terrain Contour Matching (TERPROM), and a terminal-stage Imaging Infrared (IIR) seeker, giving it a strike accuracy measured in meters.

SCALP missiles fall under the “fire-and-forget” category, requiring no further guidance after launch, and execute a climb-dive maneuver near target for precise impact even in cluttered or urban environments.

Combat-proven in Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Ukraine, the SCALP/Storm Shadow represents a gold standard in Western precision-strike capability and reflects India’s integration into advanced munitions ecosystems via its Rafale acquisition.

Alongside SCALP, India also deployed HAMMER (Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range) smart bombs, another key element in its expanding long-range precision strike toolkit.

Developed by Safran Electronics & Defense, the French-origin HAMMER system converts standard Mk 82, Mk 83, or Mk 84 bombs into highly accurate, long-range standoff munitions using modular guidance and propulsion kits.

Capable of striking targets at distances up to 70 km, HAMMER munitions can be configured with INS/GPS, infrared seekers, or laser-guidance modules, enabling them to hit static, mobile, or even camouflaged targets with exceptional accuracy.

Their Circular Error Probable (CEP) is under 10 meters, and in laser or IR mode, can be narrowed further, enabling near-surgical impact in complex combat scenarios.

HAMMER’s utility in Afghanistan, Syria, Mali, and Libya has made it a proven battlefield asset, and India’s acquisition of the system underlines its desire to enhance tactical airpower and reduce reliance on U.S.-centric systems.

Both SCALP and HAMMER are launched from Dassault Rafale fighters, which form the backbone of India’s high-end combat air fleet and have significantly elevated its regional strike credibility.

Complementing these standoff weapons were WARMATE loitering munitions, procured from Poland’s WB Group and designed to operate as low-cost, high-impact kamikaze drones.

Weighing just 5.7 kg with a flight endurance of up to 60 minutes, the WARMATE is man-portable, easily deployable by infantry or mounted on vehicles, and is suited for engaging tactical targets including light armor, command posts, and field fortifications.

With an attack speed of 150 km/h and a strike accuracy of 1.5 meters CEP, the drone carries a range of warhead options—including HE, thermobaric, and anti-tank (HEAT)—the latter capable of penetrating over 300 mm of rolled steel armor.

The Indian Army is believed to have inducted over 100 WARMATE units under an emergency procurement program, deploying them to high-altitude areas including Ladakh, where rugged terrain and short tactical windows demand precision over mass.

The drone’s ability to provide real-time reconnaissance via EO/IR sensors and execute last-minute precision strikes has made it a valued asymmetric weapon in grey-zone and high-altitude warfare.

In parallel, India is fast-tracking the development of its indigenous loitering munitions—notably the Nagastra-1 and ALS-50—under the “Make in India” initiative, which aims to localize high-end capabilities and reduce strategic dependencies.

Together, the use of SCALP cruise missiles, HAMMER smart bombs, and WARMATE suicide drones in Operation Sindoor signals a doctrinal shift in India’s military calculus—from reactive to precision-proactive, with a premium on speed, range, and deniability.

This latest escalation also sends a calibrated message to both adversaries and allies: that India is no longer tethered by legacy doctrines or limited by conventional tools, and now possesses the capability to strike with surgical precision deep inside enemy territory—on its own terms, and at the time of its choosing.

— DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA