BHUBANESWAR: A day after the successful test firing of vertical launch short range surface-to-air missile (VL-SRSAM), India flight tested the air version of supersonic cruise missile BrahMos from a fighter aircraft off Odisha coast.
Defence sources said BrahMos, an Indo-Russian joint venture, was test fired from Sukhoi 30 MK-I aircraft at around 10.30 am paving the way for its serial production. “The missile launched from the aircraft followed the pre-planned trajectory meeting all mission objectives. The successful trial is a major milestone in the development of BrahMos as it clears the system for serial production in the country,” said a defence official.
Equipped with inertial navigation and global positioning system, the missile can effectively engage ground targets from altitude as low as 10 metre for surgical strikes at terror training camps across the border without causing collateral damage. BrahMos is the only supersonic cruise missile possessing the advanced capability in the world providing an edge to the user with precise hit.
Major airframe assemblies which form the integral part of the Ramjet engine of the missile have been indigenously developed. These assemblies include non-metallic air frame sections comprising Ramjet fuel tank and pneumatic fuel supply system. Structural integrity and functional performance have been proven during the test.
Department of Defence R&D Secretary and DRDO chairman G Satheesh Reddy said, “The air version of the complex missile system is now ready for serial production.”
The 8.4 metre long BrahMos missile, the fastest in the world, can carry conventional warhead up to 300 kg. With high-precision and devastating power, it can cruise at the supersonic speed of Mach 2.8. It is a potent offensive missile weapon system already inducted into the tri-services - Indian Army, Navy and Air Force.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO, BrahMos Aerospace, Indian Airforce and industry for the successful test firing of the missile.