More lethal BrahMos to be tested by year-end

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

Lucknow, February 6

A next variant of BrahMos is expected to be tested by year-end. It will travel further than the existing range of 300 km and its precision strike ability will be fine-tuned to hit within 1 m of designated target.

At the DefExpo here, the BrahMos has on display an existing missile platform that has been inducted for various usages in the Army, Navy and the Indian Air Force (IAF).

The one that is expected to be tested this year is likely to have a range of 500 km and bring down the precision ability from the present – within 10 m radius of the target – to the just one metre. It will have better sensors and tracking devices which are now available after research.

The test will be of the land attack version which can be launched from land to another land target. Such a weapon – land-to-land attack – has been inducted into the Army albeit with a range of 300 km.

The range of the BrahMos can be increased after India becomes a part of the elite Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR). The MTCR hinders the transfer of technology for missiles more than 300 km. Russia despite having the technology could not give it to India due to MTCR restrictions.

So far, three BrahMos missile regiments have been deployed in the western sector to counter threats from Pakistan. And fourth regiment is tasked in Arunachal Pradesh.

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