Two successful test launches of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles from air and land platforms were reported by the Indian Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO). The tests were said to have taken place on 17th December.
The air-launched BrahMos-A missile was test fired from IAF Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter aircrafts against a target at sea while the surface-to-surface variant was test fired from a land based mobile launcher. The trial of the BrahMos land-attack variant took place at Launch Complex-3 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur, Odisha. Reportedly all test objectives were met.
The test emphasized the indigenous development capability of the DRDO as the Indian Ministry of Defense stated that most of the components of the missile including the airframe, fuel management system and seeker were designed by the DRDO. In the past DRDO was trying to indigenize the production process of the BrahMos missile by trying to develop various components and subsystems for the missile including introducing a new seeker and missile booster, both of which were first tested in 2018.
It is to be noted that BrahMos is a derivative of the Russian made over-the-horizon supersonic anti-ship cruise missile, the P-800 Oniks which has an estimated range of 300 to 400 km.
The ground-launched surface-to-surface variant of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was first inducted into service in 2007 by the Indian Army.
The BrahMos-A test launch marks a major milestone in the BrahMos program as integration with the Su-30MKI aircraft has been completed, after three test firing trails have taken place. The BrahMos-A missile was first test fired in November 2017 from a Sukhhoi Su-30MKI over the Bay of Bengal.
It is to be noted that only two IAF Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighters have been converted to carry the BrahMos-A missiles even though the Indian government green lit the integration process back in 2016 with the integration work beginning at the end of 2017. IAF plans to convert 40 of its Su-30MKI fighter jets to carry the 2.5 ton supersonic cruise missile while it procures 200 BrahMos-A missiles in the coming years.
[Source: The Diplomat]