IAF successfully test-fires BrahMos missile from Sukhoi fighter jet

The Indian Air Force has achieved a rare feat of firing a BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, one of the heaviest in the world, from a Sukhoi 30-MKI fighter jet.

Brahmos, the world's fastest supersonic cruise missile, was successfully flight-tested first time from the Sukhoi-30MKI against a sea based target in the Bay of Bengal on Tuesday.

The missile was gravity dropped from the Su-30 from fuselage, and the two-stage missile's engine fired up and straightway propelled towards the intended target at the sea in Bay of Bengal.

With successfully integrating the BrahMos Air Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM) on a frontline fighter jet, the IAF gets unprecedented fire power against the enemy from stand-off ranges.

The 2.8-mach BrahMos, said to the world's fastest anti-ship cruise missile has a range of 290-km and its integration with an aircraft like Sukhoi is a big boost for India's strike capabilities.

Brahmos ALCM weighing 2.5 tonnes is the heaviest weapon to be deployed on India's Su-30 fighter aircraft modified by HAL to carry weapons. Brahmos, the world-class weapon with multi-platform, multi-mission role is now capable of being launched from land, sea and air, completing the tactical cruise missile triad for India.

BrahMos is a joint venture between DRDO of India and NPOM of Russia.

Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman congratulated DRDO and BrahMos for the outstanding accomplishment.

S Christopher, chairman DRDO and secretary, department of defence R&D, congratulated the scientists and engineers for this excellent text book kind of flight test.

The missile test was witnessed by Sudhir Mishra, DG (BrahMos) and CEO & MD, BrahMos Aerospace, along with senior IAF officials, scientists and officials from DRDO and BrahMos.

BrahMos has already been inducted by the Indian Army and Indian Navy. It can be launched in either inclined or vertical configuration based on the type of the ship.

The land-attack version of BrahMos is fitted on a mobile autonomous launcher. BrahMos is also capable of being launched from submarine from a depth of 40-50 metres. Several countries have already expressed interest in buying the BrahMos missile from India.

Meanwhile, with India becoming a member of the MTCR, India and Russia decided to enhance the range of the BrahMos missile in 2016.

In March this year, a 450-km land-based version of the BrahMos missile was successfully test fired. Development of an 800-km range BrahMos missile is also underway and is expected to be complete in two years time.