Ceasefire Calms Borders: Understanding the Firepower — Ballistic vs Cruise Missiles

New Delhi: Tensions between India and Pakistan eased since May 10 night time after the latter’s Director General of Military Operations dialed his Indian counterpart urging a ceasefire. No trade of fireplace used to be reported, and each the Line of Control and the International Border remained in large part non violent since May 10 night time. During a morning press briefing, previous that day, the Ministry of Defence said that Pakistan had tried to focus on Indian army infrastructure at the western entrance the usage of drones, long-range guns and fighter jets.

Addressing the clicking convention, Colonel Sofia Qureshi published that at 1:40 AM on May 10, Pakistan had tried to strike an airbase in Punjab the usage of a high-speed missile. It is, alternatively, unclear as to which explicit missile Pakistan used. Missiles are usually labeled in response to kind, release manner, vary, warhead and steerage gadget. They are widely categorized as both cruise missiles or ballistic missiles.

What are the variations between cruise and ballistic missiles?

Defence mavens defined that missiles categorized as cruise missiles usually don’t exceed speeds of Mach 5 (5 instances the rate of sound). Ballistic missiles are thought to be high-speed as a result of they go back and forth sooner than the rate of sound. While the precise missile introduced via Pakistan stays unknown, the mavens prompt it used to be most probably a ballistic missile, given its excessive pace.

Hypersonic missiles go back and forth at speeds as much as ten instances that of sound, and ballistic missiles additionally transfer a lot sooner than the rate of sound. When one refers to high-speed missiles, she or he in most cases speaks of ballistic missiles. Pakistan’s missile arsenal is in large part composed of ballistic missiles; while, India possesses a broader and extra complex vary.

Along with different long-range missiles, Pakistan possesses a hypersonic missile referred to as Fateh-II, with a variety of as much as 400 kilometers. The different long-rage missiles Pakistan have come with Abdali (with a variety of 200 to 300 kilometres) and Ghaznavi (which has a variety of 300 to 350 kilometres).

On the opposite hand, India’s high-speed missile features come with a variety of missile arsenal, together with the Prithvi and Agni sequence, which provides it a strategic edge when it comes to each vary and diversity.

Cruise missiles serve as otherwise from ballistic ones. They fly like airplane and are in a position to precision focused on over lengthy distances. Designed to evade radar via flying at low altitudes, they’re provided with subtle navigation programs. Cruise missiles can also be introduced from land, air, sea or submarines, and a few can strike objectives over 1000 kilometre away.

India’s cruise missile arsenal comprises the BrahMos and Nirbhay, either one of which can be extremely complex. Cruise missiles also are categorized in response to pace – subsonic missiles go back and forth beneath the rate of sound, supersonic missiles go back and forth at two to a few instances the rate of sound and hypersonic missiles go back and forth at 5 instances the rate of sound or extra.

If elaboarted hypersonic missiles, they first ascend to altitudes round 100 kilometers, quickly exiting the earth’s setting earlier than re-entering all the way through their descent to strike the objective. Due to their pace and trajectory, those missiles are extraordinarily tricky to come across or intercept. Hypersonic missiles can raise each standard and nuclear warheads.

In November 2024, India effectively examined a long-range hypersonic missile with a variety of over 1,500 kilometres. This missile can also be introduced from air, sea or land platforms, giving India enhanced flexibility in deployment.

Defence mavens stated Pakistan, as of now, does now not possess hypersonic missile features.