In a first, air-launched BrahMos missile test-fired(TH)

In a first, air-launched BrahMos missile test-fired(TH)

Context

The missile was gravity dropped from the Su-30MKI from its fuselage, and the two-stage missile’s engine fired up and was propelled towards the intended target in the Bay of Bengal

What has happened?

In a milestone, a BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was fired successfully for the first time from a Sukhoi-30MKI fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force

Impact

The successful maiden test-firing of Brahmos Air Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM) from Su-30MKI will significantly bolster the IAF’s air combat operations capability from stand-off ranges

• Cruise missile triad completed: BrahMos is now capable of being launched from land, sea and air, completing the tactical cruise missile triad for India
• The land and sea variants of Brahmos are already operational with the Army and the Navy. Recently, the range variants were upgraded from 290 km to 450 km after India joined the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR)

BrahMos

• BrahMos ALCM, which weighs 2.5 tonnes, is the heaviest weapon to be deployed on India’s Su-30 fighter aircraft. It has a range of 290 km
• BrahMos is a joint venture between India and Russia and named after the Brahmaputra and Moscowa rivers