India’s ITCM Cruise Missile to Get Flare-Based Self-Defence System Against Heat-Seeking Threats

India Defense

India’s ITCM Cruise Missile to Get Flare-Based Self-Defence System Against Heat-Seeking Threats

In a major boost to its indigenous missile capabilities, India is set to equip its homegrown Indigenous Technology Cruise Missile (ITCM) with an advanced self-defence system designed to protect it from heat-seeking missiles like MANPADS (Man-Portable Air Defence Systems) and other close-combat threats. This critical upgrade marks a significant leap in enhancing the missile’s survivability in modern high-threat combat environments.

The ITCM, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), is a subsonic cruise missile with a range of approximately 1,500 kilometres. Designed for long-range precision strikes, it follows a low-altitude flight path—either sea-skimming over oceans or terrain-hugging over land—to avoid detection by enemy radar. However, this stealthy flight approach exposes the missile to a different class of threats: short-range infrared-guided missiles that lock on to the heat emitted by the missile’s engine.

To address this vulnerability, the DRDO is integrating the ITCM with an intelligent flare-dispensing system. These flares are high-temperature pyrotechnic devices that, when deployed, create false heat signatures far hotter than the missile's engine exhaust. Heat-seeking missiles, attracted to the brightest infrared source, are deceived into following the flare instead of the actual missile, allowing the ITCM to continue its mission unharmed.

This self-protection upgrade is inspired by global battlefield experiences, especially in recent conflicts where even high-end drones and low-flying missiles have been intercepted using compact, shoulder-launched air defence systems. By integrating this defensive capability, India aims to ensure its cruise missiles remain effective even in contested environments saturated with layered air defence systems.

The ITCM itself is a refined and upgraded version of the earlier Nirbhay cruise missile, and it represents one of the most advanced products of India’s indigenous defence manufacturing ecosystem. A key component of this missile is the Manik small turbofan engine, also developed in-house by DRDO’s Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE). The Manik engine has been tested successfully in multiple flight trials and has shown reliable performance in delivering the sustained propulsion needed for long-range missions.

Technically, the ITCM features:

  • Terrain-following navigation for evading radar detection

  • Inertial navigation with GPS/GAGAN augmentation for high-accuracy targeting

  • Stealthy airframe design with composite materials

  • Range: 1,000–1,500 km depending on warhead and flight profile

  • Warhead: Conventional and potentially strategic options

The missile has already undergone a series of successful developmental flight tests, validating its engine performance, guidance systems, and low-altitude flying capabilities. It is expected to be deployed across the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force and form a vital component of the proposed Integrated Rocket Force, a tri-service command that will manage India’s growing arsenal of precision-guided munitions and missile platforms.

This new flare countermeasure integration also reflects a broader trend in Indian military planning: designing not only offensive firepower but also survivability against increasingly sophisticated adversary systems. Ensuring that high-value assets like cruise missiles can penetrate defended airspace and reach their targets is becoming as important as developing them in the first place.

As the ITCM moves closer to induction, further testing of the flare defence system against advanced MANPADS and dual-mode seekers will be crucial. But with this step, India is not only advancing its missile technology but also proving its ability to adapt and evolve based on lessons from real-world conflict zones.

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