Army wanted BrahMos to achieve high degree of accuracy

The three trials of BrahMos cruise missile were aimed at testing the effectiveness of the new special sensor integrated in the missile to hit the desired target in an urban environment accurately, a top army officer said today.  

Vice Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Noble Thamburaj, said Army had enhanced its aspirations and wanted the BrahMos to achieve high standards of accuracy.

"Accuracy was the mantra. We had wanted a special sensor to be integrated in the missile so that it can hit the desired target accurately from among similar kind of targets in an urban environment," he told reporters on the sidelines of a defence seminar here.  He said the last three trials have been to test the effectiveness of the new sensor.  

"On behalf of the Army, I would like to congratulate the scientists for conducting an extremely successful third test of BrahMos," he said.

The DRDO yesterday successfully test-fired the block-II version of the land attack supersonic cruise missile at the Pokhran ranges in Rajasthan when the weapon system hit the target on the bull's eye.

The first test of the 290-km range missile held on February 20 this year had failed to hit the target following which the Army had sought further testing on the missile before it would accept it for induction.

Earlier this month, the DRDO had conducted the second test during which the missile hit the target area. However, the Army had then refused to comment on the success or failure of the missile test.