Army, IAF induct Israeli anti-tank missiles amid LAC standoff

The Army and IAF have begun to induct advanced Israeli anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) with longer ranges and greater armour-penetration capabilities, amid the two-year-long military confrontation with China in eastern Ladakh.
The Israeli ‘tank killers’ were ordered under emergency procurement last year due to the troop stand-off with China, which is yet to show any signs of de-escalation. The sheer utility of such weapons has been demonstrated during the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Ukrainian troops armed with US-origin Javelin ATGMs and western next generation light anti-tank light missiles (NLAWs) have destroyed hundreds of Russian tanks and other armoured vehicles since the conflict began on February 24.
The Israeli family of Spike ATGMs is equally lethal and versatile. The Army is inducting the Spike LR-2 launchers and missiles, which have a ground strike range of 5.5km, while the IAF is integrating its Russian-origin Mi-17 V5 armed helicopters with Spike NLOS (nonline of sight) missiles that can destroy ground targets around 30 km away.
“Both the fifth-generation ATGMs are being inducted in limited numbers under emergency procurement to plug certain operational gaps. The much larger requirement for ATGMs will be met through ‘Make in India’ projects,” a top defence source said. “The pilot-controlled NLOS missiles, which can be armed with different kinds of warheads, are primarily meant for specialised ‘behind the hill’ missions by IAF helicopters,” he added.
The IAF, incidentally, has 22 Apache attack helicopters, armed with Stinger air-to-air missiles, Hellfire Longbow air-to-ground missiles, guns and rockets, inducted under the deal with the US in September 2015. The Army, in turn, is getting six Apaches under a deal in February 2020.