Recently, the Indian Army successfully test-fired a land-attack version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. This is a significant advancement following the successful test-firing of the naval variant of the BrahMos missile from INS Chennai, an indigenously-build stealth destroyer, by the Indian Navy about a month prior.
The Features of the New Land-attack Version
The newly tested version of the missile presents an upgrade in its range, extending it to 400 km from the original 290 km. Despite this increase in range, the speed of the missile has been maintained at approximately three times the speed of sound, or 2.8 Mach. The test firing was conducted in a ‘top-attack’ configuration, a mode common among most contemporary missiles, including the BrahMos.
In top attack mode, the missile is programmed to ascend quickly after launch, traverse at a certain altitude, and then descend onto the target from above. In contrast, the direct attack mode involves the missile traveling at a lower altitude and striking the target directly.
Significance of the Recent Tests
The successful tests demonstrate India’s tactical cruise missile triad – the ability to launch missiles from land, sea, and air platforms. Notably, a substantial number of the original BrahMos missiles and other key assets have already been stationed at several strategic locations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh.
This recent successful test signifies a crucial milestone for India, enhancing its ability to engage vital targets in enemy territories. Over the previous 2.5 months, India has tested numerous missile types, including the anti-radiation missile Rudram-1, slated for service induction by 2022.
Understanding the BrahMos Missile
Named after the Brahmaputra river in India and the Moskva river in Russia, the BrahMos missile is a product of BrahMos Aerospace. A joint venture between India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia’s Mashinostroyenia, BrahMos Aerospace handles the design, development, and production of this medium-range supersonic cruise missile.
A cruise missile is an unmanned, self-propelled, guided vehicle that maintains flight through aerodynamic lift for most of its path with a primary mission of delivering ordnance or a special payload on a target. Cruise missiles vary in classification based on speed – subsonic (around 0.8 Mach), supersonic (2-3 Mach), and hypersonic (more than 5 Mach).
BrahMos holds the title of the world’s fastest supersonic cruise missile and the fastest operational anti-ship cruise missile. It operates on the ‘fire and forget’ principle, which means it needs no further guidance following launch. The missile has a flight range of up to 290 km, but India’s entry into the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) has facilitated the extension of the BrahMos missile’s range to reach between 450-600 km.
Various versions of the BrahMos missile have previously been developed and successfully tested, including versions capable of being launched from land, warships, submarines, and Sukhoi-30 fighter jets. Currently, a hypersonic version of the BrahMos missile, capable of reaching a speed of 5 Mach, is under development.