India is accelerating the development of a lightweight, air-launched sub-sonic cruise missile designed for deployment from various Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft. Powered by the indigenous Manik turbofan engine, this missile features a shorter airframe with improved aerodynamics, confirmed through wind tunnel testing, enabling a reduced weight of about 1.2 tons and a range of approximately 600 kilometers. It offers a cost-effective and stealthy complement to the faster, supersonic BrahMos-NG missile, providing greater fuel efficiency, low-altitude terrain-hugging flight, and advanced guidance systems including inertial navigation and satellite GPS. Compatibility across the IAF’s diverse fleet—including Su-30MKI, Rafale, MiG-29, and Tejas—ensures tactical flexibility and enhanced stand-off precision strike capability against high-value targets such as command centers and airfields. This development significantly bolsters India’s long-range aerial strike arsenal, enabling safer engagements outside hostile air defenses and reinforcing strategic deterrence in the region amid evolving geopolitical challenges.