The long-range, supersonic BrahMos cruise missiles that can be fired from land, ships and the air, have been part of India’s arsenal for decades.
Now, the BrahMos-NG (next generation) missile is being designed to be more compact than the existing line of missiles.
The BrahMos, combining the names of two rivers, the Brahmaputra in India and the Moskva in Russia, is co-produced by the two countries.
The next-generation weapons system will employ advanced technology (stealthier features), making it precision-guided, and can be integrated on modern ground, naval and air platforms in large numbers, according to BrahMos Aerospace, the company (established in 1995) that makes the missiles.
A BrahMos-NG missile will weigh up to 1,500 kilograms and be 5.5-6 metres in length. The older missile, based on the Russian-made P-800, weighs 3,000 kilograms and is 8-9 metres in length. The BrahMos’ basic flight range is within 300 kilometres, at least of the old export variant, because India became a full member of the Missile Technology Control Regime only in 2016. The BrahMos-NG’s range is expected to be much longer.
“It is a very exciting missile – smaller and it can be carried anywhere,” Atul Rane, former CEO of BrahMos Aerospace, said.
The idea behind the reduced dimensions was to be able to fit it into torpedo tubes, too. But it is unclear if that aspect has been covered in the new design yet.
The first BrahMos-NG prototype is "planned to be fielded in air-launched configuration” and would be developed for the weapons suite of the Indian Air Force’s fighter jets, such as Sukhoi-30 MKI or the indigenously built light combat aircraft Tejas.
The first drop test (to check the in-flight characteristics of the missile) is likely to take place by 2026, with full-scale production expected to begin the following year.
The primary design is complete and the process of making the components is ongoing, Rane, who retired last November, said.
When he was still heading the company, formed by Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Rane had once said a hypersonic missile, BrahMos-II, based on the Russian-made 3M22 Zircon, could be developed in India in the future.
When asked about it today, Rane said, “Russians have an edge” in missile defence with Zircon, but it is still being tested, and the technology bricks for BrahMos-II are being created by the DRDO and the Russian side.
“The BrahMos has proved itself over the years,” he said, adding that it is natural for India to acquire hypersonics (weapons flying at more than Mach 5, five times the speed of sound).
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 "A 'compact' missile for wider use")
