A plan to field the world’s first 12,000 km-class indigenous strategic bomber would vault the Indian Air Force from a regional force into a power with truly intercontinental reach. The proposed Ultra Long-Range Strike Aircraft (ULRA) is envisioned as a stealthy, swing-wing platform able to deliver nuclear or conventional payloads anywhere on the globe without aerial refuelling. If the Defence Ministry’s 2032-2035 prototype target is met, India would join the United States, Russia and China as the only nations operating strategic bombers.
Why New Delhi Now Wants A Bomber
For decades Indian doctrine relied on ballistic missiles and fighter-bombers to deter Pakistan and China. Galwan (2020) and the rapid modernisation of China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force—particularly the forthcoming H-20 stealth bomber—have exposed gaps in India’s long-range, second-strike options. New Delhi therefore seeks a “sky-based” leg to complement its land- and sea-based nuclear forces, giving leaders a survivable platform able to launch retaliatory strikes even if forward bases or missile silos are compromised.
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Core Design Goals And Performance Envelope
Officials describe the ULRA as a hybrid drawing lessons from Russia’s Tu-160 “Blackjack” and America’s B-21 Raider. Like the Tu-160 it will feature variable-geometry wings to optimise fuel burn during the 12,000 km transit while still permitting high-speed dash over targets. Range is set deliberately above the B-21’s estimated 9,300 km to guarantee one-way sorties from mainland India to any continental U.S. city and back when aerial refuelling is factored out.
Stealth shaping, radar-absorbent materials and an automated flight-management suite are judged essential for penetrating dense air-defence networks. Engineering studies focus on adapting either a modified GE-414 core or the Russian NK-32 afterburning turbofan, each capable of sustaining the thrust and fuel efficiency such endurance demands.
Planned Armament
The headline weapon is the BrahMos-NG—a reduced-diameter, 290–450 km supersonic cruise missile—of which up to four rounds could be stowed internally. Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) sources add that the bomb bay is being sized for Agni-1P short-range ballistic missiles, laser-guided bombs and anti-radiation missiles to offer a mix of stand-off and direct-attack options. This diverse load-out would allow the bomber to strike hardened targets, surface warships or enemy air-defence nodes within minutes of popping up on radar.
Industrial Path And Foreign Collaboration
The Aerospace Industrial Corridor linking DRDO, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and the Aircraft Development Agency has begun wind-tunnel work and full-scale mock-ups. Negotiations with Russia and France cover composites fabrication, active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar modules and electronic-warfare suites, while engine talks hinge on access to hot-section metallurgy for 30,000 lb-thrust-class turbofans.
New Delhi deliberately keeps timelines long—first flight no earlier than 2032–2035—to synchronise with the in-house maturation of sensors, data-links and weapons integration.
How ULRA Compares With Peer Bombers
| Bomber (Status) | Max Unrefuelled Range | Payload/Weapon Focus | Stealth Level | Earliest Operational Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tu-160M (Russia, in Service) | 12,300 km | 40 t; up to 12 Kh-101/55 cruise missiles | Low-observable shaping but not full stealth | 1987 / Upgraded 2024 |
| B-21 Raider (USA, flight test) | ≈9,300 km | Internal nuclear & conventional PGMs | Full-spectrum stealth | 2027 (Projected) |
| H-20 (China, Development) | 8,500–10,000 km | 10-45 t mixed nuclear/conventional | Flying-wing stealth (Projected) | 2030s (Pentagon Estimate) |
| ULRA (India, Conceptual) | 12,000 km+ | 4 BrahMos-NG; SRBMs; smart bombs | Broadband stealth with swing-wing | 2035 (Prototype) |
Strategic Dividends
Possessing a bomber of this class would confer four immediate advantages:
Assured Second-Strike Capability. The aircraft could be dispersed to central or southern bases beyond reach of intermediate-range missiles yet still hold adversary capitals at risk.
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Global Power Projection. ULRA patrols over the western Indian Ocean, Atlantic or South China Sea would extend deterrence far beyond the traditional sub-continental theatre.
Conventional Precision Strike. Supersonic cruise missiles allow prompt conventional attacks on time-sensitive targets—carrier groups, air-defence sites or logistics hubs—without escalation to nuclear weapons.
Technological Spill-Over. Indigenous advanced composites, low-observable coatings and engine hot-section expertise would cascade into civilian airliners, unmanned combat air vehicles and India’s fifth-generation fighter projects.
The project is a national priority, steered by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), and the Aircraft Development Agency (ADA). India is currently in technology transfer talks with Russia and France, with critical components like engines (candidates include the US-made GE-414 or Russian NK-32) under consideration for adaptation to meet the bomber’s demanding power and efficiency needs.
Development on the ULRA is still in its early stages: preliminary design and technology research is underway, and dummy models have been created, while the first operational prototype is expected between 2032 and 2035. If realized, this capability would mark a profound shift in India’s defence strategy, granting global nuclear strike reach, reinforcing second-strike nuclear capability, and giving India significant strategic leverage in regions far beyond its immediate neighbourhood.
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Hurdles Ahead
Building the world’s most ambitious bomber poses profound challenges. Engines remain a chronic weak point; neither the GE-414 derivative nor NK-32 licence-build has yet cleared for the required thrust-to-fuel ratio.
Cost is another—each Tu-160 costs roughly US $250 million and the B-21 at least US $700 million; analysts warn a fleet of 12-15 ULRA aircraft could absorb a double-digit share of the capital procurement budget for a decade. India must also erect long runway infrastructure, hardened shelters and dedicated bomber training pipelines, none of which currently exist. Finally, strategic bombers demand a doctrinal rethink around pre-strike intelligence, in-flight refuelling logistics and secure beyond-line-of-sight communications.
Outlook
Even if timelines slip, the ULRA program signals a definitive pivot in Indian defence policy—from safeguarding borders to shaping events on distant continents. Should the prototype fly by the mid-2030s and the BrahMos-NG enter service on schedule, India will wield a triad that can credibly retaliate from land, sea and, crucially, the far reaches of the sky. In that future, deterrence for New Delhi will no longer stop at the First Island Chain or the Persian Gulf; it will start wherever a ULRA sortie can reach—and with 12,000 km legs, that is virtually anywhere.
Based On ET News Report
Agencies
