India to produce Israel’s LORA long-range ballistic missiles locally

India is set to buy and locally manufacture the LORA long range ballistic missile from Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). Israeli reports said Indian Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Israel’s Defence Director General Amir Baram signed a memorandum of understanding to deepen defence cooperation.

Indian interest in LORA increased after use of the Rampage missile in recent clashes with Pakistan.

Rampage, accurate and launched from aircraft like the Sukhoi-30 and MiG-29, has a range of about 250 km, which can leave launch platforms vulnerable to advanced air defence systems.

By contrast, IAI’s LORA (built by its MLM division) reportedly reaches roughly 400 km, enabling strikes while keeping aircraft farther from enemy air defences.

The LORA weighs about 1,600 kg, travels at supersonic speeds, and relies on satellite navigation that’s hardened against jamming. It is a “fire-and-forget” weapon (no in-flight guidance needed after launch) and can be fitted with different warheads for use against soft targets or hardened bunkers.

According to SIPRI, India has been Israel’s largest defence customer, accounting for roughly 34% of Israeli arms exports from 2020–2024.

Separately, India has shown interest in IAI’s “Ice Breaker” cruise missile, which is designed for 300 km strikes against land and sea targets.

The Ice Breaker is intended to operate effectively in all weather and in contested electronic-warfare environments, using infrared (IIR)-based guidance and AI-assisted target acquisition.