BHUBANESWAR: India achieved another milestone in its defence preparedness? by successfully test firing BrahMos supersonic cruise missile amidst extreme weather conditions proving it one the best all-weather weapon systems in the world. With an extended life the missile was test fired from the launching complex - III of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) off Odisha coast at about 10.20 am on Monday.
Blasted off from a static inclined launcher, the missile proved its efficacy and longevity despite the inclement weather. A defence official said the test was conducted as a part of life extension programme of the precision strike missile, which flew in its designated trajectory and the key components functioned perfectly."BrahMos is the first missile whose life has been extended from 10 years to 15 years.
The technology will make missile systems durable. The test was aimed at gauging its killing probability in extreme conditions. The sea state during the test was 7 which means around nine-meter wave and strong winds. The mission was excellent," he said.
All telemetry and tracking stations including naval ships near terminal point have tracked the missile all through its trajectory. Scientists of BrahMos Aerospace and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) witnessed the launch.
A joint venture of India and Russia, the world-class BrahMos has emerged as the ultimate weapon of choice in modern warfare with its unmatched speed, precision and firepower. The nine-meter long missile can travel at thrice the speed of sound and carry a conventional warhead weighing upto 300 kg.BrahMos is the only supersonic cruise missile possessing the advanced capability providing an edge to the user with precise hit.
The Indian army is the first army in the World to have a regiment of supersonic cruise missile with advanced capabilities.The missile can be fired on three different targets or in a variety of other combinations near simultaneously. While its airforce version is under developmental tests, the missile has already been inducted in the Army and the Navy. Initially, developed for 299 km, the strike range of the weapon system has been increased to 450 km after India's full membership to the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), which removed caps on range of cruise missiles.Photo caption - Supersonic cruise missile BrahMos being test fired.