The Most Powerful Weapons India Owns

India is one of the most powerful military force in the world. The country has invested big money in defense.

It is also the biggest importer of weapons. It purchases lots of other nations’ design and then adjusts them to suit their own needs. The Indian army now has some of the most advanced weapons, enough to deter any other nation from thinking about raging a war with it.

Here are the top ten most fearful in that list:

Sukhoi SU-30MKI

The Sukhoi Su-30MKI belongs to the Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet series. They were designed in Russia but produced in India under India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s license.

It can operate for up to four hours straight and is one of the twin-finned aircraft. The air refueling system can add six more hours of operation to the standard four, thus, allowing the aircraft to travel up to 8,000 kilometers with a cruising altitude of 11 to 13 kilometers.

The Sukhoi Su-30MKI can work with either the Nirbhay or the BrahMos missiles, giving it a fearful attacking capacity. The aircraft also has lots of anti-radiation missiles and electronic jamming pods.

BrahMos Missile

We have just talked about the BrahMos so let’s take a closer look at it. It is a short-range ramjet supersonic cruise missile that can be launched from land, ships, submarine, and aircraft. With the speed of Mach 2.8 to 3.0 (from 3,400 to 3,700 km/h), it is arguably the world’s fastest cruise missile.

Compared to other missiles belonging to the same category, the BrahMos’s seeker range is believed to be four-time higher while its flight range and velocity are three-time higher.

BrahMos missiles launched from land and ships have 200kg of warhead onboard while the model for aircraft can carry 300 kg.

Agni Missiles

Agni is one of India’s locally-made ballistic missiles. Its range is from medium to intercontinental.

Agni-1’s range is from 700 to 1,200 km. It can carry up to 1,000 kg of warhead and has a total weight of 12,000 kg.

Agni-2’s range is greater, standing at up to 3,500km, weighing at 16,000kg. It can have around 1,000kg of warhead onboard.

Agni-3 has the greatest range and it is capable of delivering a way heavier warhead, covering a distance of up to 5,000 km.

India is also developing Agni-5, a ballistic missile that can hit a target in another continent.

INS Vikramaditya

INS Vikramaditya is a carrier built by the Soviets. It is 284m long and 60m across. It can transport more than 30 aircraft, including Kamov 28, Chetak helicopters, MiG 29K/Sea Harrier, Sea King, ALH-Dhruv, and Kamov 31.

The INS Vikramaditya is a huge steel structure. From the keep to the apex, its tallness is equal to that of a 20-storey building. The carrier is capable of housing more than 1,600 personnel. Its range is around 13,000 km or 7,000 nautical miles.

INS Visakhapatnam

INS Visakhapatnam acts as the lead ship of the fleet of stealth guided-missile destroyers. It was launched back in 2015 but when it was commissioned in 2018, it became the most powerful and advanced destroyer warship India has ever had.

The warship’s weight is around 7,300 tons while its length is 163 meters. It can accommodate up to eight anti-ship missiles, BrahMos-class, several threat alert radar systems, rocket launchers, twin-tube torpedo, and 32 long-range surface-to-air missiles.

The INS Visakhapatnam’s maximum distance is around 7,400 km and it can accommodate up to 300 personnel, consisting of 250 sailors and 50 officers.

INS Chakra

In 2011, the Indian army leased the Russian Nerpa submarine for ten years and then modified it to make the INS Chakra. It can house 80 personnel, have onboard 36 Klub anti-ship missiles and torpedoes.

The INS Chakra does not need to come to the surface to recharge. Its speed can exceed 30 knots and it can reach a depth of 600 meters.