Recently, India confirmed a technical malfunction which led to the unintentional firing of a missile that ended up 124 kilometers inside Pakistan’s territory. The incident stirred speculation that it was a test of the BrahMos missile, one of India’s top missiles developed in partnership with Russia.
Provisions for Testing Missiles
The pre-notification of flight testing of ballistic missiles agreement necessitates each country to notify the other before it plans to conduct any flight tests for land or sea-launched, surface-to-surface ballistic missiles. This agreement, signed in 2005, requires issuing a Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) or Navigational Warning (NAVAREA), meant to alert aviation pilots and seafarers, respectively.
The launch site must be at least 40 kilometers away from sensitive zones, such as the International Boundary (IB) or the Line of Control (LoC). In addition, the planned impact area should not be located within 75 kilometers of either the IB or the LoC. Furthermore, the trajectory of the missile must not cross the IB or LoC and ought to maintain a minimum horizontal distance of 40 kilometers from the border.
The country intending to conduct missile testing is required to provide a “no less than three days in advance” notice prior to starting a “five-day launch window” for any land or sea launched, surface-to-surface ballistic missile testing. The respective Foreign Offices and High Commissions are the conveying channels for this pre-notification.
Understanding NOTAMs and Navigational Warnings
NOTAMs, or Notices to Air Missions, contain vital details not known sufficiently in advance for personnel involved in flight operations, thus needing other means for dissemination. Similarly, a Navigational Warning Service, like the World Wide Navigational Warning Service (WWNWS) established in 1977, broadcasts information about global navigation hazards for international shipping. These warnings provide early reports of incidents which may pose a threat to safe navigation.
About BrahMos Missile
BrahMos is a two-stage missile jointly developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation of India (DRDO) and Russia’s NPOM. The name BrahMos originates from the rivers Brahmaputra and Moskva.
The missile is designed to function on the “fire and forget” principle, where it doesn’t need further guidance post-launch. With a capability for pinpoint accuracy, BrahMos operates in any weather condition, day or night. It can be launched from different platforms – land, air, and sea.
One of the fastest cruise missiles that are operationally deployed, BrahMos attains a speed of Mach 2.8, nearly thrice the speed of sound.
In context with Indian defense, it is important to clarify some points about certain weaponry. For example, the Shourya missile does not fly with a speed of more than 8 Mach and its range is not more than 1600 km. Also, ‘Dhruv’ is an advanced light helicopter, and when talking about the Agni-IV Missile, it is a surface-to-surface missile, but it doesn’t use liquid propellant and cannot deliver one-tonne nuclear warheads about 7500 km away.
