The BrahMos is currently the fastest cruise missile in production
capable of delivering a conventional warhead, traveling at speeds of up
to Mach 3.0. The missile is a joint effort between India’s Defense
Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and Russia’s NPO
Mashinostroeyenia (its domestic defense research agency).
The Indian Army has incorporated two regiments of the missile into its arsenal, with a third expected to be
added soon. The Indian Navy has
also inducted the missile, using it across several frigates and
destroyers. The Indian Air Force will test an air-launched version of
the missile shortly.
The Brahmos-II is currently under development and is expected to be the hypersonic successor to the original BrahMos. India’s former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has pushed for the development of an unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) variant of the upcoming hypersonic missile, saying that the “missile should be able to deliver its payload and return to base.”
In general, the surface-to-surface variants of the BrahMos have seen the most extensive testing. Its penetration capabilities had been impressively demonstrated in the past at sea when a single BrahMos cruise missile was able to effectively pierce the hull of a free-floating ship, destroying it entirely. That test, in 2010, rendered India the first country to have a maneuverable supersonic cruise missile. The deep penetration block-III variant expands this capability greatly, allowing the BrahMos to destroy reinforced targets.
Brahmos Block III has an advanced guidance and upgraded software, incorporating high manoeuvres at multiple points and steep dive from high altitude. The steep dive capability of the Block III enables it to hit targets hidden behind a mountain range. It will be deployed in Arunachal Pradesh. It can engage ground targets from an altitude as low as 10 meters for surgical strikes with out any collateral damage. It is capable of being launched from multiple platforms like submarines, ships, aircraft and land based Mobile Autonomous Launchers (MAL).
The Indian Army has incorporated two regiments of the missile into its arsenal, with a third expected to be
added soon. The Indian Navy has
also inducted the missile, using it across several frigates and
destroyers. The Indian Air Force will test an air-launched version of
the missile shortly.The Brahmos-II is currently under development and is expected to be the hypersonic successor to the original BrahMos. India’s former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has pushed for the development of an unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) variant of the upcoming hypersonic missile, saying that the “missile should be able to deliver its payload and return to base.”
In general, the surface-to-surface variants of the BrahMos have seen the most extensive testing. Its penetration capabilities had been impressively demonstrated in the past at sea when a single BrahMos cruise missile was able to effectively pierce the hull of a free-floating ship, destroying it entirely. That test, in 2010, rendered India the first country to have a maneuverable supersonic cruise missile. The deep penetration block-III variant expands this capability greatly, allowing the BrahMos to destroy reinforced targets.
Brahmos Block III has an advanced guidance and upgraded software, incorporating high manoeuvres at multiple points and steep dive from high altitude. The steep dive capability of the Block III enables it to hit targets hidden behind a mountain range. It will be deployed in Arunachal Pradesh. It can engage ground targets from an altitude as low as 10 meters for surgical strikes with out any collateral damage. It is capable of being launched from multiple platforms like submarines, ships, aircraft and land based Mobile Autonomous Launchers (MAL).
