India test fires extended-range version of BrahMos missile

New Delhi, May 12

India on Thursday successfully test-fired an extended-range version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from a Sukhoi fighter jet in the Bay of Bengal, in a boost to the country’s strategic strike capability.

It was the first launch of the extended range version of the BrahMos missile from a Su-30MKI aircraft, the defence ministry said.

The range of the advanced version of the missile is learnt to have been extended to around 350 km from the original 290 km.

“The launch from the aircraft was as planned and the missile achieved a direct hit on the designated target in the Bay of Bengal region,” the ministry said in a statement.

It said the extended-range capability of the missile coupled with the high performance of the Su-30MKI aircraft gives the Indian Air Force a strategic reach and allows it to dominate future battlefields.

“With this (test-firing), the IAF has achieved the capability to carry out precision strikes from Su-30MKI aircraft against a land/ sea target over very long ranges,” the ministry said.

Besides the IAF, the Navy, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and the BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited (BAPL) were involved in the test firing.

“The dedicated and synergetic efforts of the IAF, Indian Navy, DRDO, BAPL and HAL have proven the capability of the nation to achieve this feat,” the ministry said.

BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd, an India-Russian joint venture, produces supersonic cruise missiles that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft, or land platforms.

BrahMos missile flies at a speed of 2.8 Mach or almost three times the speed of sound.

In April too, the Indian Air Force successfully test-fired a BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from a Sukhoi fighter jet on the eastern seaboard.