India Explores Cheaper LR-LACM Missile to Complement Brahmos

Brahmos missiles swiftly neutralized Pakistan's air power on May 10, 2025, demonstrating decisive capability. However, prolonged modern conflicts necessitate a cost-effective solution. India is exploring the Long Range Land Attack Cruise Missile (LR-LACM), a cheaper, 1,500 km range weapon, to complement Brahmos and enhance sustained combat operations, ensuring greater strategic staying power.

On May 10, 2025, Brahmos missiles flying at thrice the speed of sound destroyed Pakistan's ability to launch a meaningful air operation against India. In one series of missile strikes, New Delhi was able to impose its will on Islamabad. The strike was launched with the confidence that the missiles flying at blistering speeds will be able to punch through Pakistani air defences and would not be able to stop these potent strikes. The Brahmos demonstrated its ability to be the 'Ultima Ratio Regum' or the last argument of kings, playing a major role in ending the brief conflict. Although the Brahmos proved to be a success, but recent conflicts have demonstrated that conflicts are not likely to be brief. The conflict in Ukraine is well past the four year mark, Israel's operations in Gaza and Lebanon have been on since 2023 and the conflict in the gulf has lasted for over a hundred days. As India is building up a reserve for fighting a war for 40 days of intense fighting, although not all types of ammunition would be required. The Brahmos costs a considerable amount, with the Indian Air Force buying110 missiles for Rs 10,800 crore and the navy procured 220 missiles in 2024 for Rs 19,519 crore, giving an idea about the cost of these missiles. In an all out extended duration conflict, the use of these missiles will not be feasible. Especially as most of the high value elements will be targeted early in the conflict, one of the reasons why the Ministry of Defence states that not all types of ammunition need not have a reserve for 40 days of intense conflict. For this reason India needs a low cost option to tackle targets with a precision weapon deep inside enemy territory. The Long Range Land Attack Cruise Missile (LR-LACM) can be one such weapon. This terrain hugging missile with a range of 1,500 km can hit targetsdeep inside enemy territory. More importantly it can be fired for far cheaper and sustainable rate of around Rs 25 crore. The missile can also be used in conjunction with the Brahmos. The trisonic missile can be first used to take down an adversary's air defence and kick down the proverbial door, leaving the much cheaper LR-LACM to hit targets. The US too uses a similar method, when it uses advanced stealth missile such as the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) to take down air defences and then lets the famed Tomahawk missile hit other less defended targets across the battlespace. The Russians too have resorted to a similar strategy in which they use high end missiles such as the hypersonic Kinzhal to take down important targets and then uses cheaper missiles that are the analog of the LR-LACM such as the Kalibr missiles to take on more regular targets. In any future conflict, especially a drawn out one, a missile such as the LR-LACM can be an effective weapon that can improve India's staying power. On May 10, 2025, Brahmos missiles flying at thrice the speed of sound destroyed Pakistan's ability to launch a meaningful air operation against India. In one series of missile strikes, New Delhi was able to impose its will on Islamabad. The strike was launched with the confidence that the missiles flying at blistering speeds will be able to punch through Pakistani air defences and would not be able to stop these potent strikes. The Brahmos demonstrated its ability to be the 'Ultima Ratio Regum' or the last argument of kings, playing a major role in ending the brief conflict.