India is interested in buying Air Lora missiles from Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), according to reports in the Indian media. Such a deal would make India an even more important customer for Israel’s defense industry than it already is. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), between 2020 and 2024, India accounted for 34% of its export sales.
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India’s interest in IAI’s missiles arises from the lessons learned from the conflagration on its border with Pakistan in May, in which Rampage missiles hit Pakistan Air Force bases. Those missiles are produced jointly by Elbit Systems subsidiary IMI Systems, IAI’s MLM Division, and rocket propulsion company Tomer. The Indians now realize that they need long-range, precision air-to-ground missiles, hence their interest in the Air Lora.
Fire and forget
The Rampage missile has a range of 250 kilometers, and the Indian Air Force uses it on its Sukhoi 30 and MiG 29 aircraft. It is very accurate, but its range puts India’s combat aircraft at risk from Pakistan’s Chinese-produced air defense systems. The Air Lora missile has a range of 400 kilometers, which enables combat aircraft to hit their targets without endangering themselves in the face of advanced air defenses.
Air Lora, which was developed in IAI’s MLM Division, is designed for attacking missile sites, military bases, and air defense systems, without endangering planes and pilots. The missile weighs 1,600 kilograms, flies at supersonic speeds, and uses satellite navigation protected against disruption. One of its outstanding features is that it is “fire and forget”, meaning that once it has been launched at the target, there is no need to guide it. It can carry various warheads, for deployment against soft targets or against bunkers. With its 400 kilometer range and accuracy to within ten meters, it will enable India to hit any Pakistani base.
Published by Globes, Israel business news – en.globes.co.il – on July 2, 2025.
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