Army test-fires BrahMos in Rajasthan's Pokhran Desert

The army has successfully test-fired an advanced version of the supersonic BrahMos cruise missile at Chandhan field firing range near Pokhran in Jaisalmer.

The 290-km BrahMos flies at a speed of 2.8 Mach and carries a conventional warhead of up to 300 kg. The missile can be launched from multiple platforms including land, sea, sub-sea and air. The missile hit a target approximately 55 km away on Ajasar area.

Array

The BrahMos missile, with deep-penetration capability, was launched from a mobile autonomous launcher deployed with full configuration with a mobile command post.

The trial had also to do with complicated software upgradation in the missile system and it was a challenging one, a Defence research Development Organisation (DRDO) official said.

The missile successfully hit the designated target, said defence spokesperson Colonel S.D. Goswami. The launch was witnessed by senior army and air force officers.

According to informed sources, the army has inducted the missile in two of its regiments, and is preparing to induct it into a third regiment later this year.

BrahMos Aerospace plans to deliver the missile to the IAF in 2015, where it is expected to arm at least three squadrons.

A new, smaller variant of the air-launched BrahMos is also under development. This variant would arm the Sukhoi Su-30MKI, Mirage 2000, future

inductions such as for Dassault Rafale and the Navy's MiG-29K.