Pakistan Navy announces indigenous air defense missile project, selects LY-80N for new frigates

[Gryphon]

Excerpt from article written by Usman Ansari for defensenews.com
Date: January 5, 2018


Malcolm Davis, a senior analyst for defense strategy and capability at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, believes the Harbah is “a step up for the Pakistan Navy.”

“It offers both anti-ship and land-attack. If it’s based on the Babur, then it has a range of up to 700 kilometers, which, whilst not very long range, is sufficient to be militarily useful and certainly better than older systems such as Harpoon and C-802,” he said.

As to whether it would help keep Indian warships at bay, he said: “I think in terms of India’s Navy, it would depend on context. How many such missiles might be launched — a single [anti-ship cruise missile] most likely would be shot down by anti-ship missile defense systems on [Indian Navy] vessels. How good are Indian Navy defenses? That includes radar systems and their ability to detect sea-skimming missiles early.

“So it’s hard to say specifically whether this missile will be effective at the time it is used. Clearly the land-attack capability is also important and adds to Pakistani Navy capability vis-a-vis India.”

Further indigenization efforts are focused on closing the critical gap in air defense capabilities. The same naval spokesman that informed Defense News about an indigenous anti-ship missile program also mentioned an indigenous air defense missile project.

He said the Chinese medium-range LY-80N has already been selected and a platform equipped with the missile would be acquired, as revealed by the recent news of a deal for a

Type 054A Jiangkai II frigate. He also stated there were no immediate plans to replace the FM-90 short-range air defense system that equips the F-22P Sword-class frigates.

Considering the bulk of the FM-90 system, however — only eight missiles are capable of being carried by the F-22P frigates — it is possible a smaller, short-range missile is being developed for those vessels unable to be equipped with the FM-90.

The next Pakistani missile program to break cover, therefore, may be such a system.

Pakistan test-fires indigenous anti-ship missile | defensenews.com

 

[BHarwana]

lol an Australian expert? My point is how can people asses any info about Harbah missile when the there is no info released so far, the estimate of range is done due to Harbah link with the Babur family but if you look that the video released by Navy there is only booster phase and interception Phase portion of the test is released which means that the inflight mode of Harbah has not been released so that clearly tells that in flight mode of Harbah is different from Babur family. Again when the Harbah intercepts the sea based target the speed of intercept is very higher than what Babur family missiles uses to approach the target. So Harbah is myth for now until more info is available.

 

[Advocate Pakistan]

Excerpt from article written by Usman Ansari for defensenews.com
Date: January 5, 2018


Malcolm Davis, a senior analyst for defense strategy and capability at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, believes the Harbah is “a step up for the Pakistan Navy.”

“It offers both anti-ship and land-attack. If it’s based on the Babur, then it has a range of up to 700 kilometers, which, whilst not very long range, is sufficient to be militarily useful and certainly better than older systems such as Harpoon and C-802,” he said.

As to whether it would help keep Indian warships at bay, he said: “I think in terms of India’s Navy, it would depend on context. How many such missiles might be launched — a single [anti-ship cruise missile] most likely would be shot down by anti-ship missile defense systems on [Indian Navy] vessels. How good are Indian Navy defenses? That includes radar systems and their ability to detect sea-skimming missiles early.

“So it’s hard to say specifically whether this missile will be effective at the time it is used. Clearly the land-attack capability is also important and adds to Pakistani Navy capability vis-a-vis India.”

Further indigenization efforts are focused on closing the critical gap in air defense capabilities. The same naval spokesman that informed Defense News about an indigenous anti-ship missile program also mentioned an indigenous air defense missile project.

He said the Chinese medium-range LY-80N has already been selected and a platform equipped with the missile would be acquired, as revealed by the recent news of a deal for a

Type 054A Jiangkai II frigate. He also stated there were no immediate plans to replace the FM-90 short-range air defense system that equips the F-22P Sword-class frigates.

Considering the bulk of the FM-90 system, however — only eight missiles are capable of being carried by the F-22P frigates — it is possible a smaller, short-range missile is being developed for those vessels unable to be equipped with the FM-90.

The next Pakistani missile program to break cover, therefore, may be such a system.

Pakistan test-fires indigenous anti-ship missile | defensenews.com

Now, if this is true than we should also start work on an indigenous VLS.

 

[araz]

Now, if this is true than we should also start work on an indigenous VLS.

I dont think a VLS is that important at the moment. However the missiles are pivotal. Even if we procure a zystem from outside we should be manufacturing the missiles locally.

 

[Mrc]

How many anti ship missiles out there have 700 km plus range??
Launched from a ship size of a fishing boat... that too 700 km away.... and each carrying 6 out these missiles... would enemy even know they are under attack????
And how to stop some thing u don't know exists

 

[Areesh]

Excellent news

 

[Muhammad Omar]

What??

 

[GriffinsRule]

How many anti ship missiles out there have 700 km plus range??
Launched from a ship size of a fishing boat... that too 700 km away.... and each carrying 6 out these missiles... would enemy even know they are under attack????
And how to stop some thing u don't know exists

The question is, how will these small boats find targets to shoot at 700kms away in open ocean?

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

I see the Dehshat Class (Some call it Azmat) , to be enhanced from 63 Meters to 90 meters range and officially converted into a Stealth Corvette Level Ship before we discuss the option of Missiles

 

[Mrc]

The question is, how will these small boats find targets to shoot at 700kms away in open ocean?

Like any thing else that requires to shoot such distances

It won't be doing that them selves

 

[MastanKhan]

lol an Australian expert? My point is how can people asses any info about Harbah missile when the there is no info released so far, the estimate of range is done due to Harbah link with the Babur family but if you look that the video released by Navy there is only booster phase and interception Phase portion of the test is released which means that the inflight mode of Harbah has not been released so that clearly tells that in flight mode of Harbah is different from Babur family. Again when the Harbah intercepts the sea based target the speed of intercept is very higher than what Babur family missiles uses to approach the target. So Harbah is myth for now until more info is available.

Hi,

There are specialists in the field---they can look at the equipment in question---its size---and then from your engineering capabilities and availability of necessary equipment---they can determine the capability of the equipment to almost 95% of what it would do.

A decade + ago---without the computers at hand---it was really really tough to do that.

But in the last 5-10 years---the job has become much much easier.

 

[Awan68]

The question is, how will these small boats find targets to shoot at 700kms away in open ocean?

Data from ariel assets, other ships, subs and ground based long range radars.

 

[BHarwana]

Hi,

There are specialists in the field---they can look at the equipment in question---its size---and then from your engineering capabilities and availability of necessary equipment---they can determine the capability of the equipment to almost 95% of what it would do.

A decade + ago---without the computers at hand---it was really really tough to do that.

But in the last 5-10 years---the job has become much much easier.

Sir I agree with you but the only thing that can be determined from this test was that it was a jet engine based missile not a rocket based missile because of the air intake coming out in the video and the range was assessed to be 700 km due to missiles ties to Babur family and I was the only one who suggested the range to be near 700 you can check the main thread on the missile so apart from that you cannot asses any thing about the missile. Harbah being a sea skimming missile is due to the fact that Pakistan has that technology. Herbah being a RADAR evading missile is due to the fact because Pakistan has that technology. Now the question is that it uses all that technology is just a speculation because it can be a totally different thing. Because we don't know how Harbah is acquiring a moving target.

Harbah could be a totally advance thing as well in terms of Navigation and Target acquiring.

 

[jamal18]

The question is, how will these small boats find targets to shoot at 700kms away in open ocean?

I believe it's called mid-course correction, and also target acquisition will be by another unit at that range.

 

[CriticalThought]

Sir I agree with you but the only thing that can be determined from this test was that it was a jet engine based missile not a rocket based missile because of the air intake coming out in the video and the range was assessed to be 700 km due to missiles ties to Babur family and I was the only one who suggested the range to be near 700 you can check the main thread on the missile so apart from that you cannot asses any thing about the missile. Harbah being a sea skimming missile is due to the fact that Pakistan has that technology. Herbah being a RADAR evading missile is due to the fact because Pakistan has that technology. Now the question is that it uses all that technology is just a speculation because it can be a totally different thing. Because we don't know how Harbah is acquiring a moving target.

Harbah could be a totally advance thing as well in terms of Navigation and Target acquiring.

A lot can be determined just by the size of the exhaust plume. The final portion of the video gives an indication of terminal velocity at time of impact. Combine this with an expert's knowledge of what a cruise missile can achieve based on current technology, and a lot can be deduced.

Where the Aussie expert has failed is in considering the possibility Harbah could be carrying a tactical nuke. Plus, no statement has been given on radar evasion features. Finally, the success depends on mission planning.

That said, maybe they are considering GPS jamming a key vulnerability due to which Indians don't need to be worried.

And a very important thing about Australia. Back circa 2013-14 an interview was published of an incoming Australian naval chief in which he was asked what he sees as being the biggest problem. His reply was Pakistan, NOT China and NOT North Korea. Australia has asked for joint naval exercises with India and if Armageddon breaks out, Pakistan should consider the powerful Australian Navy as an adversary.