Su-30 flies with BrahMos missile for first time

BrahMos Aerospace on Saturday demonstrated here the integration of its supersonic cruise missile system with a Su-30MKI fighter jet of the Indian Air Force.

The demonstration flight, carried out at the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) here, involved carriage of Brahmos missile on the Su-30MKI fighter, a major advance towards trials for launching missiles from the air.

BrahMos Aerospace is a joint venture between India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia's Federal State Unitary Enterprise NPO Mashinostroyenia (NPOM) of Russia.

It has been developing a nuclear-capable short-range supersonic cruise missile that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft or land.

This is the first time the Brahmos missile was "married" to a fighter jet.

According to sources, the modification to the fighter includes hardened electronic circuitry to shield it from the electromagnetic pulse of a nuclear blast.

The missile was also modified carrying a reduced booster and fins for stability.

"With Saturday's successful flight, the BrahMos air version programme now inches closer towards actual test firing when a 2.5-ton Brahmos air-to-ground missile will be fired from the Sukhoi-30 in the coming months," a BrahMos official said.