LOOKEAST REPORT
The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile developed by India with Russian technology has been successfully tested with an indigenous ‘seeker’ at Rajasthan’s Pokhran test range, in a development that could boost the country’s conventional and counter-terrorism capabilities dramatically.
The BrahMos will enhance the country’s capability to hit enemy targets at a range of up to 400 km. The precision strike capability will make trans-border commando raids on terrorist camps in Pakistan and Myanmar – or anywhere in the neighbourhood – redundant.
BrahMos supersonic cruise missile
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the missile during the test firing at Pokhran on Thursday hit the target with “pin-point” accuracy. “The success will further bolster India’s national security,” she said.
BrahMos will enhance the country’s capability to hit enemy targets at a range of up to 400 km. The precision strike capability will make trans-border commando raids on terrorist camps in Pakistan and Myanmar – or anywhere in the neighbourhood – redundant
It was for the first time that the missile, capable of travelling at speeds of up to Mach 3.0, has been successfully tested by India.
BrahMos is a joint collaboration between India and Russia and the missile is capable of being launched from land, sea, sub-sea and air against surface and sea-based targets. Defence analyst Sudhi Ranjan Sen said.
Its range was initially capped at 290 km as per obligations of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR). Since India’s entry into the club, the range has been extended to 450 km and the plan is to increase it to 600km.
The Army and Navy have already inducted the missile, while the air-launched version was test-fired for the first time last year from a modified Su-30MKI aircraft. ■
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