Indian Army test-fires deep-diving version of BrahMos missile
18 Nov 2013
India has successfully tested an advanced, deep penetration variant of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, validating its capability.
The missile was test-fired at the Pokhran test range in Rajasthan at 1005 hours today.
The block III variant of BrahMos, launched from a mobile autonomous launcher, followed the predetermined trajectory and successfully pierced the designated concrete structure, a press release stated.
The 290-km range missile has a velocity, which can touch 2.8 Mach or nearly three times the speed of sound and can be launched from multiple platforms including land, sea, sub-sea and air.
''The launch has successfully validated the deep penetration capability of the supersonic cruise missile system against hardened targets,'' a BrahMos official said.
BrahMos chief Sivathanu Pillai, senior defence ministry officials and senior army officers, including corps commander Lt Gen Amit Sharma witnessed the launch.
Corps commander Lt General Amit Sharma who witnessed the launch along with GoCs and senior officers from the Indian Army congratulated the operational Army team for the successful launch.
The Block III variant of land-attack BrahMos has already proved its precision strike capability in mountain operations.
The Army has inducted two regiments of the missile, while the third regiment is in the process of being inducted.
The Navy too has inducted the missile in service, while the air-version of the weapon is scheduled to be flight tested by the IAF soon.