The Indian Air Force Wednesday successfully test fired the aerial version of the supersonic BrahMos cruise missile from a Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft at the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, marking a major milestone to enhance its precision strike capability.
The 2.5 tonne air-to-surface missile has a range of around300 km, and it will significantly enhance the IAF’s combat capability, militaryofficials said.
The BrahMos cruise missile travels at a speed of Mach 2.8,nearly three times that of sound.
“The launch from the aircraft was smooth and themissile followed the desired trajectory before directly hitting the landtarget,” IAF spokesperson Group Capt Anupam Banerjee said.
The IAF became the first air force in the world to havesuccessfully fired an air-launched 2.8 Mach surface attack missile of thiscategory on a sea target on November 22, 2017.
“Today’s was the second such live launch of the weapon.The integration of the weapon on the aircraft was a very complex processinvolving mechanical, electrical and software modifications on aircraft,”the IAF said.
It said the software development of the aircraft wasundertaken by IAF engineers, while the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd carried outmechanical and electrical modifications on it.
“The dedicated and synergetic efforts of the IAF,Defence Research and Development Organisation, BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd andHAL have proven the capability of the nation to undertake such complexintegrations,” the IAF said.
It said the BrahMos missile provides the Indian Air Force amuch desired capability to strike from large stand-off ranges on any target atsea or on land with pinpoint accuracy by day or night and in all weatherconditions.”The capability of the missile coupled withthe superlative performance of the Su-30MKI aircraft gives the IAF the desiredstrategic reach,” the IAF said.