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From ROCKS to golden horizon: How Delhi is leveraging Israeli deep-strike tech

India's 'Blue Sparrow'? From ROCKS to golden horizon, how New Delhi is leveraging Israeli deep-strike tech
Following the reported use of ‘Blue Sparrow’ missiles in Tehran, India is accelerating the integration of Israeli ROCKS and Golden Horizon ALBMs. Explore how the IAF is boosting its Su-30MKI deep-strike capabilities with hypersonic, near-space technology.
The dust has settled on Operation Epic Fury, the February 28 strike operation that, it is claimed, employed Israeli Blue Sparrow missile technology to strike Tehran. Now, defense experts are looking to the Indian Air Force (IAF) and how it is rapidly integrating similar "near-space" ballistic technology, ROCKS and Golden Horizon, to revolutionise its own deep-strike capability.
The Blue Sparrow, which is made by Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, has been dubbed the "missile from space" owing to its unique flight profile.
During Operation Epic Fury, these air-launched ballistic missiles were deployed from F-15/F-35 fighter jets at 7:30 AM local time on February 28.
The Blue Sparrow then struck its targets in Tehran's city center by 9:40 AM local time.
Hypersonic Re-entry: The missile is propelled into space before re-entering Earth's atmosphere at speeds over five times the speed of sound.
Quasi-Ballistic Arc: Its flight profile is unpredictable, making it virtually impervious to surface-to-air missile systems.
Surgical precision: With the help of GPS and inertial navigation systems, it is reportedly capable of hitting a precise room within a fortified location from over 1,000 km away.
India has already moved from the "interest" phase to the active phase of testing this technology. The IAF has been successfully integrating the ROCKS (or Crystal Maze 2), the direct operational derivative of the Sparrow family, into its fighter fleet operating at the front lines.
In April 2024, the IAF successfully test-fired the ROCKS missile from a Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jet. The ROCKS missile has a range of about 300 km and is capable of destroying high-value targets that are either stationary or relocatable in the GPS-denied environment.
This will enable the IAF to strike deep into enemy territory without the pilots ever crossing the International Border (IB) or Line of Control (LoC).
Reports from February 2026 suggested that Israel has offered India the Golden Horizon, an even more potent long-range ALBM.
Strategic reach: With a range of 1,500 to 2,000 km, this system would allow the Indian military to target strategic assets located deep within a continent, with the aircraft remaining in friendly and safe airspace.
Su-30MKI integration: The Golden Horizon is also being presented as a primary weapon system for the Indian military's 'Super Sukhoi' upgrade, providing a conventional threat that is difficult to intercept.
The current push toward acquiring ALBMs comes on the back of the heavy usage of Israeli technology in Operation Sindoor in 2025.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu had also confirmed the efficacy of the system, stating that the system was 'battle-proven' in the South Asian theater.
Some of the key assets deployed in the theater included:
SPICE kits: Precision-guidance kits used to transform 'dumb' bombs into 'smart' bombs.
Harop & Harpy drones: 'Kamikaze' drones used to target radar installations and air defense systems in the Lahore theater.
SkyStriker: Loitering munitions developed in Bengaluru through a joint venture between Alpha Design and Elbit Systems.
Under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, New Delhi is not just acquiring these missiles, but also acquiring the necessary technology.
Plans are underway for the DRDO to collaborate with Israeli firms to produce these high-tech missiles with a significant percentage of India-sourced components, ensuring a sustainable supply chain for future regional contingencies.
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Source: ZeeNews
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