BrahMos anti-ship missile: India tests firepower on land, sea and air

A few days ago India successfully fired the anti-ship version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

India on Thursday fired the anti-ship version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

In a tweet, the Andaman and Nicobar Command said the test-firing was carried out on Wednesday.

The Andaman and Nicobar Command is the only tri-services command of the Indian armed forces.

"Indian Navy & ANC yet again demonstrate  combat readiness by successfully destroying target at sea through anti-ship version of BrahMos at A&N Islands," it said.

On April 19, the Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully test-fired the BrahMos missile from a Sukhoi fighter jet on the Eastern seaboard.

Last month, the Indian Navy successfully test-fired an advanced version of the Brahmos missile from a stealth destroyer in the Indian Ocean.

BrahMos Aerospace, 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. 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 missile is based on the "fire and forget" principle and can be universally used for multiple platforms. It can maintain high speed throughout the the flight and has a low radar signature.

It can hit the target with pinpoint accuracy with lethal power. The Indian Army had inducted the BrahMos regiment for the first time in 2007.
 

IAF'S Sukhoi-30MKI  test-fires BrahMos cruise missile.

According to BrahMos Aerospace, BrahMos is a two-stage missile with a solid propellant booster engine as its first stage which brings it to supersonic speed and then gets separated. 

The liquid ramjet or the second stage then takes the missile closer to 3 Mach speed in cruise phase. 

Earlier, the IAF had said that Sukhoi fighters were the second frontline fighter squadron to be based in south India.

The latest batch of Sukhoi jets are armed with the indigenous developed BrahMos cruise missiles.

IAF had earlier announced the resurrection of the 222 Squadron of Tigersharks with the Sukhois.

The latest move by the Philippines to acquire India's premier missile will put the BrahMos on the world map as countries in Asia seek to balance China's aggressive moves.

Russia has also begun the delivery of S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile systems to India as the country strengthens its offensive and defensive capabilities.

In October 2018, India had signed a $5 billion deal with Russia to buy five units of the S-400 air defence missile systems. 

India is now in a position to export the BrahMos missile as it seeks to counter China's defence capabilities in the world market while at the same time it is also setting its sight to become the dominant arms exporter in the region.

The BrahMos missile is a medium-range ramjet supersonic cruise missile capable of being launched from submarines, ships, fighter jets or land.