Brahmos with extended range tested successfully

The Indian Army is all set to operationalise an extended-range version of the Brahmos cruise missile, almost a year after India became a member of the Missile Technology Control Regime.

Because of the restrictive export control regime, the previous version of the cruise missile, developed with Russian collaboration, had a maximum range of 290 km as export of missiles with more than 300 km range was prohibited under the MTCR rules.

Nine months after India becomes a MTCR member, defence scientists successfully tested a 450 km range Brahmos missile from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur off Odisha in March, 2017.

Now for two consecutive days, the Southern and South Western Commands of the Indian Army have successfully fired Brahmos Block-III land attack cruise missile system in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. In both cases, the missile demonstrated an accuracy of less than one metre.

While the Army is using Brahmos since 2007, the new version has several advanced features besides its extended range. These missiles are capable of riding crest-shaped obstacles and pick up the target for precision hitting.

“It is our most important weapon in a conventional role,” said an Army officer after missile tests ended on Tuesday.

This is the fifth consecutive time when the Block-III version of Brahmos land attack cruise missile has been successfully launched and hit the land-based target in “top-attack” mode, an incredible feat not achieved by any other weapon system of its genre.

The Army has four regiments of these cruise missile, each having two batteries. There are plan to raise a fifth one, sources said.

After the first successful trial of the Brahmos-ER, Sudhir Mishra, the chief executive officer and managing director of Brahmsos Aerospace said, “With the successful test firing of Brahmos Extended Range, the armed forces will be empowered to knock down enemy targets far beyond 400 km.”

Based on the Russian technology, the missile was jointly developed by DRDO and Russia agency NPOM for launch from land, sea, sub-sea and air against surface and sea-based targets.

Currently tests are being held for the air-launched version of Brahmos from a modified Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jet.