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BrahMos missile, the world's fastest supersonic cruise missile, has been test-fired successfully for the first time from a Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jet. BrahMos missile has been co-developed by India and Russia. The lethal missile is envied world-wide and with its integration on the Sukhoi-30 MKI, it has become the heaviest missile in its class to be tested from a frontline fighter jet in the world! But that's only one of the special facts that makes the BrahMos missile a world-class weapon. We take a look at 10 such awe-inspiring details about the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile that will make not only Pakistan and China, but also the world sit up and take notice:
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BrahMos: With its test firing from Sukhoi-30 MKI, India's supersonic cruise missile triad has been completed. According to BrahMos Aerospace, the missile is the only one in the world that will be inducted by all three services – Army, Navy and the Air Force. BrahMos has already been inducted by the Indian Navy and the Indian Army. The successful test-flight and firing from IAF's Sukhoi-30 MKI paves way for it to be inducted by the Indian Air Force as well.
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According to BrahMos Aerospace officials, the missile has one of the highest success rates in tests in its league across the world. "Barring a case or two, the BrahMos has never failed in its test-firings till date," says BrahMos Aerospace.
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BrahMos on Sukhoi-30 MKI means that the IAF can strike deep into the adversary's territory without crossing the border. So, we can attack not only warships of the enemy, but also strategic land assets.
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BrahMos: It is a two-stage missile that works on the "fire and forget principle". For the first stage it has a solid propellant booster engine. This brings the missile to its supersonic speed and then gets separated. The liquid ramjet takes over and helps the missile achieve its cruise speed of 2.8 Mach. BrahMos can carry a conventional warhead weighing between 200 kg and 300 kg. It has a cruising altitude of up to 15 km. The terminal altitude is as low as 10 meters.
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BrahMos can be launched from land on a mobile autonomous launcher. The Indian Army has inducted several regiments of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, which is also known for its precision against the set targets.
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From a ship, the BrahMos missile can be launched either in a vertical or an inclined configuration.
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BrahMos has been integrated on most modern Indian Navy warships – from INS Kolkata to INS Chennai.
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BrahMos is also capable of being launched from submarine from a depth of 40-50 metres.
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BrahMos: With India becoming a member of the MTCR, India and Russia decided to enhance the range of the BrahMos missile in 2016. In March this year, a 450-km land-based version of the BrahMos missile was successfully test fired. Meanwhile, the development of an almost 800-km range BrahMos missile is underway and is expected to be complete in two years time. Also, defence experts are hopeful that in the years to come, the 450-km and 800-km extended range versions of the BrahMos will also be integrated on frontline fighter jets – giving the capability to take out the whole of Pakistan and to a great extent have potential to damage strategic assets in Northern China.
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BrahMos has been identified as a missile with immense export potential. As many as seven countries, including those in the Middle East and Latin America have already expressed interest in purchasing the missile.
