iaf-test-fires-extended-range-brahmos-missile

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Two months after testing from a naval ship, now the Brahmos extended range missile was air launched.

Highlights

  • The extended range Brahmos missile was air launched from the first time from a Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft of the Indian air force.
  • The range of this extende range Brahmos is 350 kms compared to 290kms in the base version
  • The missile achieved a direct hit at its targeted destination in the Bay of Bengal
  • With this Indian air force achieved the capability of carrying prcision lon range air strikes to any target on land or sea from a Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft. This will give IAF strategic edge to dominate future battlefields.

About Brahmos

  • The BrahMos supersonic missile is an Indo-Russian joint venture production which can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft or land.
  • It is a two-stage engine composed of solid propellant engine in the first stage and liquid ramjet in second.
  • It operates on the "Fire and Forgets" principle i.e it does not require further guidance after launch.
  • It has a range of 290 km and speed reaching upto Mach 2.8 to 3 Mach
  • Philippines Department of National Defence made a deal worth $374.9 Million with India for Brahmos Supersonic missiles

Brahmos Aerospace Limited

  • It is a joint venture of DRDO and NPO Mashinostroyenia of Russia.
  • The Company derives its name from the river Brahmaputra and Moskva.
  • The company was established on 12 February 1998  with India and Russia equity shareholding of 50.5% and 49.5% respectively.
  • It has developed BrahMos, the world's first supersonic cruise missile Brahmos. The technology used is based on the Russian P-800 Oniks cruise missile.
  • At present Brahmos Aerospace ltd has manufacturing centres at Hyderabad, Nagpur and Bilani (Madhya [Pradesh). A new centre is coming up in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh which will mainly produces the BrahMos-NG variant.
  • BrahMos-NG (Next Generation) is a mini version of BrahMos. It will have same range and speed but it will weigh around 1.5 tons, 5 metres in length and 50 cm in diameter. Thus it will be around 50 percent lighter and three metres shorter than the original one

State of India’s arsenal-