BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile

Source:  IE

Context: During Operation Sindoor, India reportedly deployed the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile in combat for the first time against Pakistani military installations.

About BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile:

• What is BrahMos Missile?

• • BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile jointly developed by India and Russia. It is a precision strike weapon capable of being launched from land, air, sea, and underwater platforms.
• Development Origin: A product of a 1998 intergovernmental agreement, BrahMos Aerospace is a joint venture between India’s DRDO (50.5%) and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyenia (49.5%).
• Name Origin: The name is derived from Brahmaputra (India) and Moskva (Russia) rivers.

• Anatomy of BrahMos Missile

• • Structure: It is a two-stage missile with a solid-propellant booster and a liquid-fueled ramjet engine.
  • Speed: Reaches up to Mach 3 (three times the speed of sound).
  • Range: Originally 290 km, upgraded variants now exceed 350–400 km, with future versions expected to reach 800+ km.
  • Stealth: Low radar cross-section (RCS) and compact design enhance evasion from enemy radar.
  • Guidance: Equipped with a ‘fire and forget’ system—requires no human input after launch.

• Key Features:

• • Multi-platform Capability: Deployable from ships, submarines, mobile land launchers, and fighter aircraft.
  • Precision: Known for high accuracy, deep-dive, terrain-hugging, and mountain-warfare adaptability.
  • Speed & Kinetic Energy: 3x speed and 9x kinetic energy compared to subsonic cruise missiles.
  • Stand-off Range: Enables operators to launch the missile without entering enemy airspace.
  • Terminal Phase Altitude: Can descend to 10 meters, enabling precise target hits.

• Variants of BrahMos Missile:

• • Ship-based Variant
    • Fired from static and mobile warships.
    • Supports vertical and inclined launch modes.
    • Capable of salvo fire (up to 8 missiles).
    • Inducted into the Indian Navy in 2005.
  • Land-based Variant
    • Mobile autonomous launchers with 3 missiles each.
    • Deployed along India’s borders with multiple blocks:
      1. Block I: Precision strike
      2. Block II: Deep-dive and target discrimination
      3. Block III: Mountain warfare adaptation
    • Range upgraded to 400 km; future variant may cross 1,000 km.
  • Air-launched Variant (ALCM)
    • Integrated with Sukhoi-30 MKI aircraft.
    • First test: November 2017; validated for land and sea targets.
    • Offers long-range deterrence in the Indian Ocean Region.
  • Submarine-launched Variant
    • Launched from 50 meters below sea level.
    • First tested in 2013 off the coast of Visakhapatnam.
    • Designed for canister-based vertical launch.
  • BrahMos-NG (Next Generation) (under development)
    • Will be smaller, lighter, and have enhanced stealth.
    • Designed for aircraft and submarines, including torpedo-tube launch.
    • Improved ECCM resistance and operational flexibility.