India to get ALBM missile from Israel; now IAF jets will destroy Pakistan's PL-15 rocket

Doha: Israel has agreed to supply India with the Golden Horizon air-launched ballistic missile (ALBM). This could be a major defense deal. India can use it to attack enemies from its Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter aircraft, while remaining out of range of the Chinese PL-15 air-to-air missile. A report by Alpha Defense claims that this system has not yet been offered to any other country. The Su-30MKI fighter aircraft already launches the BrahMos missile, and now, if the ALBM is integrated, it will become a crucial aircraft for India.

What happened to India-israel defence deal?

This same missile was used when Israel attacked a terrorist hideout in Qatar last year. Military analysts were puzzled for several days as to how Israel bypassed Qatar's advanced air defenses in Tuesday's attack on a villa in Doha. A report published in The Wall Street Journal at the time stated that Israeli fighter jets had fired ballistic missiles into space over Saudi Arabia before hitting their targets.

Is this the world's deadliest air-launched missile?

Israel has never publicly acknowledged the existence of such weapons. However, the New York Times reported that it possesses several types of air-launched ballistic missiles with a high degree of destruction. Although Israel has not yet officially acknowledged this, the Wall Street Journal quoted US officials at the time as saying that Israel may have fired the mysterious weapon from a distance of approximately 1,500 kilometers across Saudi airspace from the Red Sea and attacked a villa in Doha.

The Golden Horizon is a highly lethal Israeli air-launched ballistic missile (ALBM), first revealed in October 2024 after leaked US intelligence documents. US media reports indicate its range is up to 2,000 kilometers. Its speed is hypersonic, between Mach 5 and Mach 9. This missile uses an advanced dual inertial and GPS guidance system for high-precision strikes. If India acquires this missile, Indian aircraft can attack any target in most parts of Pakistan without coming within range of the Chinese PL-15 missile.

Why is this missile significant?

Ground-launched ballistic missiles have been developed by many countries, and advanced air defense systems can intercept them. However, air-launched ballistic missiles are rarely used. Russia, China, and Israel are believed to be the only countries that possess such missiles. Uzi Rubin, a two-time winner of Israel's Defense Prize and founding head of the Arrow missile defense program, said in an interview that "they can come from any direction and make defense very difficult."

The US tested a similar weapon, the AGM-183 hypersonic missile, but the 2025 defense budget revealed that funding for the project had dried up and it was effectively canceled. With its large arsenal of long-range cruise missiles and other strike systems, Washington has shown little interest in investing in air-launched ballistic technology. If India indeed acquires this missile, the ALBM will be the next missile, after the BrahMos and Scalp, that Pakistan cannot intercept, and Indian aircraft can destroy any target in Pakistan while operating 1,000 kilometers from Pakistan's borders.

The Israeli agreement to provide the ALBM is excellent news, but more importantly, the question is whether India can develop such a capability on its own, whether it will produce its own indigenous ALBM, and whether the development, testing, and certification cycle can align with the operational timeline.