The Indian Air Force today successfully tested the extended range version of the BrahMos Air Launched missile against a ship target from Su-30 MKI fighter jet.
The extended range of the BrahMos missile is believed to have the ability to take out targets in sea 400 km away
The supersonic cruise missile “achieved the desired mission objectives in the Bay of Bengal region and with the successful test, the Indian Air Force achieved a capability boost to carry out precision strikes from Su-30 fighter aircraft against land/ sea targets over long ranges,” the defence ministry said in a statement.
“The extended range capability of the missile coupled with the high performance of the SU-30MKI aircraft gives the Indian Air Force a strategic reach and allows it to dominate the future battle fields,” the statement added.
The successful test firing was a joint effort by the Air Force, Indian Navy, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), and the BrahMos Aerospace (BAPL).
In May this year, the extended-range version of the supersonic missile was successfully tested from the Sukhoi fighter. The extended range was reported to have increased to 350 km from 290 km.
The successful test conducted in May was the first instance in which the missile was test fired from the Su-30MKI fighter jet.
The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile has a two-stage solid propellant booster engine as its first stage which takes it to supersonic speed. The second stage is the liquid ramjet engine which takes it closer to Mach 3 (3 times the speed of sound) speed in the cruise phase.
The BrahMos missile is universal for multiple platforms and can be launched from air, land, and sea platforms. The missile works on the ‘Fire and Forget principle’ and maintains a high supersonic throughout the flight. The missile is said to have a low radar signature.