Indian Army Successfully test fires Air version of BRAHMOS Supersonic missile

Land attack variant of supersonic cruise missile BrahMos was successfully test fired by Indian army on Tuesday.

The Block-III version of the weapon system was tested in steep-dive mode as part of its capability enhancement endeavour. It was fourth successive launch of the Block-III version of the BrahMos land attack cruise missile which has once again stamped its impeccable precision strike capability.

The strike range of the missile was recently enhanced from 290 km to 450 km following the technology upgradation after India’s full membership to the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), which removed caps on the range. Defence sources said, the missile was fired from a mobile autonomous launcher in full operational configuration.

All telemetry and tracking stations including naval ships near terminal point confirmed that the mission was successful.

A defencce official associated with the mission said with complex manoeuvers the cruise missile met its mission parameters in a copybook manner. “The formidable missile system proved its mettle as it hit the land-based target with desired precision in a top attack configuration,” he said. While maiden test of extended range BrahMos was carried out from Integrated Test Range (ITR) off Odisha coast on March 11, Navy had successfully test fired the missile from warship INS Teg from Bay of Bengal on April 21.

Developed by an Indo-Russian joint venture after the two countries signed an agreement in February 1998, the nine meter long missile can travel at thrice the speed of sound and carry warheads weighing up to 300 kg. Named after Brahmaputra and Moskova rivers, the missile can be fired on three different targets or in a variety of other combinations near simultaneously. The land-based version is also equipped with inertial navigation system and global positioning system.

BrahMos is the only supersonic cruise missile possessing the advanced capability providing an edge to the user with precise hit. Apart from land, the weapon system can also be fired from sea, submarine and air. Indian army is the first army in the World to have a regiment of supersonic cruise missile with advanced capabilities.