NEW DELHI- India on Thursday successfully flight-tested the supersoniccruise missile BrahMos from Rajasthan’s Pokhran test range. The missile,which is the result of an Indo-Russia joint venture, can fly almost threetimes the speed of sound at Mach 2.8 and has a range of 290 km. The rangeof the BrahMos missile can be further extended up to 400 km as certaintechnical restrictions were lifted after India became a full member of theMissile Technology Control Regime or MTCR in 2016.
“Formidable Supersonic Cruise Missile #BrahMos was successfully flighttested at 8:42 AM today at Pokhran test range, Rajasthan. The precisionstrike weapon with Indian-made seeker flew in its designated trajectory andhit the target with pin-point accuracy,” tweeted Defence Minister NirmalaSitharaman.
Efforts are on to integrate the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile on 40Sukhoi combat aircraft which is expected to fulfill critical needs of theIndian Air Force in the wake of evolving security dynamics in the region.The supersonic cruise missile was last test-fired in November 2017 from theIndian Air Force’s fighter, Sukhoi-30MKI.
BrahMos was also showcased at the Dubai Air Show last year where itgenerated a lot of buzz among the participating nations.
*Some Quick Facts About BrahMos *
BrahMos is a medium range ramjet supersonic cruise missile.
It can be launched from the land, air and the sea.
It is a joint venture between India’s Defence Research and DevelopmentOrganisation (DRDO) and Russian Federation’s NPO Mashinostroeyenia.
The word BrahMos is a portmanteau of rivers Brahmaputra of India and theMoskva of Russia.
It boasts of a speed of Mach 2.8 to 3.0, making it the fastest anti-shipcruise missile in the world.
Its speed is now being upgraded to Mach 5.0
It was inducted into service in 2006 and is used by the Indian Army, AirForce and the Navy.
It weighs between 2,500 kg and 3,000 kg, has a length of about 8.4 meterswith a warhead of about 200-300 kg.