New Delhi: The Indian Navy on Saturday successfully test-fired a long-range version of the BrahMos cruise missile. In a tweet, the Indian Navy said the test-firing validated the long-range precision strike capability of the BrahMos missile, terming it “another shot in the arm for Aatmanirbhar Bharat”. “Long-range precision strike capability of an advanced version of BrahMos missile successfully validated. Pinpoint destruction of target demonstrated combat and mission readiness of frontline platforms. Yet another shot in the arm for Aatmanirbhar Bharat,” it tweeted. In a video shared by the Navy, the missile can be seen being launched from a warship.
BrahMos is a joint venture between India (DRDO) and Russia (NPOM) for the development, production and marketing of the supersonic cruise missile. BrahMos is the potent offensive missile weapon system already inducted into the Armed Forces. BrahMos Aerospace has been continuously upgrading the powerful, highly versatile BrahMos to increase its effectiveness and lethality against sea and land targets. BrahMos is the potent missile weapon system already inducted into the armed forces.
In 2017, the air-launched variant of the BrahMos was successfully test-fired from a Sukhoi-30MKI. This cruise missile is supersonic, which implies a speed greater than that of sound. It is difficult to be intercepted by surface-to-air missiles deployed on leading warships around the world because of their very high speed. The BrahMos has been inducted into the Navy and Army from 2006 onwards, but the air-launched version is more versatile because unlike warships, which are slow-movers, a fast-moving Sukhoi-30 fighter can travel at least 1,500 km towards a target before the missile itself is fired. The missile then flies another 400 km to take out a target.