Successful Launch of Air Version of Brahmos Missile

The Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully tested the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile in the Bay of Bengal, showcasing the IAF's expanding capabilities in strengthening India's military might. 

• The BrahMos missile is known for its supersonic speed and precision, and was launched from a Su-30MKI fighter jet, demonstrating the IAF's ability to deploy long-range BrahMos cruise missiles. This successful test marks a significant advancement in India's defense capability.

• The aircraft took off with the missile from a southern peninsula air base and traveled almost 1,500 kilometers to effectively attack a target from a wider range than before. 
• This air-launched missile is a longer-range variant of the already formidable supersonic weapon system, and it is the result of a unique collaboration between India and the Russian military sector.

About BrahMos

BrahMos is named after two rivers, the Brahmaputra in India and the Moskva in Russia. 

• It is a two-stage missile that uses a solid propellant booster engine in its first stage to bring it to supersonic speed before separating from the missile. Its second stage, the liquid ramjet, takes it even closer to 3 Mach speed during the cruise phase.
• The missile features stealth technology and an advanced guidance system with embedded software. It has a range of up to 290 km and maintains supersonic speed throughout the flight, ensuring shorter flight time and quicker engagement. 
• Its 'Fire and Forget' principle allows for various flights on the way to the target. The missile has a cruising altitude of up to 15 km and a terminal altitude as low as 10 meters, with a conventional warhead weighing between 200 to 300 kgs. 
• BrahMos is the first supersonic cruise missile of its kind to be in service. Its identical configuration for land, sea, and sub-sea platforms makes it adaptable for various environments. 
• The missile uses a Transport Launch Canister (TLC) for transportation, storage, and launch. The Indian Navy began inducting the first version of BrahMos Weapon Complex in 2005, followed by the Indian Army in 2007. 
• The Indian Air Force has also successfully inducted BrahMos Air Launched Cruise Missile system armed with Sukhoi 30MKI frontline fighter aircraft. BrahMos Aerospace is a joint venture between India's DRDO and Russia's NPO Mashinostroyeniya.

Variants:

• BrahMos-II is a hypersonic version under development, which will have a speed of Mach 7-8 and is expected to be ready for testing by 2024. 
• Another version, BrahMos-NG (Next Generation), is a mini version of the existing BrahMos system. It will have the same 290 km range and Mach 3.5 speed but it will weigh around 1.5 tons, with a length of 6 meters and a diameter of 50 cm, making it 50 percent lighter and three meters shorter than its predecessor. The BrahMos-NG system is expected to be inducted in 2024. 
• India and Russia, as members of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), are jointly developing a new generation of BrahMos missiles with an 800 km range and an ability to hit protected targets with pinpoint accuracy. Eventually, all missiles are planned to be upgraded to a range of 1,500 km.

India is actively exporting these advanced BrahMos missiles to friendly nations, including the Philippines.

About Sukhoi Su-30MKI

• The Sukhoi Su-30MKI is a versatile fighter aircraft developed jointly by the Sukhoi Design Bureau and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force (IAF). It is an advanced version of the Su-30 fighter aircraft, equipped with thrust vectoring control and canards for enhanced maneuverability. 
• The development of Su-30MKI for the IAF began in 1995, with Sukhoi and Irkutsk Aircraft Production Association (now known as Irkut Corporation) being responsible for the design and production of the aircraft respectively.