Russia earlier in this March, successfully carried out the first test firing of the hypersonic version of BrahMos missile, The BrahMos II, in Russia. The test was successful and the missile flew at the speed of Mach 6. However, the range and the mode of flight were not mentioned by the authorities.
The test came after the successful test firing of BrahMos missile by India in December last year.
Here’s what you need to know about this development:
- The test of BrahMos II was carried out from a land-based testing range.
- The speed of BrahMos II is Mach 7 with a range of 290 kilometres.
- It can carry warheads up to 300 kg, conventional, shrapnel, or armour piercing and it will be launched from a ship, as the first phase.
- The missile will replace the existing P 800 and Kalibr missile from the Russian naval ships. P 800 is known as the base model of BrahMos.
- The development trails are believed to be completed by 2018 and the Russian navy will start to induct it by 2019 making Russian Navy the first Navy to get hypersonic missiles for anti-ship missions.
- Apart from this, BrahMos Corp is also involved in three bigger projects, namely air-launched version known as BrahMos-A, BrahMos II (the hypersonic variant of BrahMos), and BrahMos NG which is a mini version of the BrahMos.
- Both Indian and Russian counterparts work close to achieving the above-said projects, In India they working on the BrahMos-A missile whose carriage trails are scheduled to be the following April, and in Russia they were working on the hypersonic variant with a Ram jet engine to boost the missile speed up to Mach 7.
- Indian Armed forces are the only user who uses the BrahMos variants in Army, Navy, and Airforce while Russia is yet to employ their naval ships with BrahMos missile.
- BrahMos used in the Navy ships usually to conduct the anti-ship and anti-surface mission with the range of 300 kilometres, and in the lo-lo mode, the missile can strike targets up to 120 kilometres. During lo-lo mode, it’s impossible to intercept the supersonic missile flying at Mach 3 speed.
- Indian army also uses the BrahMos in three variants block I, II, and III, those block versions are more advanced variants than its predecessors. The air force also operates land-based launchers, air force operates one or two squadrons of BrahMos missiles.
