Air version of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was successfully test fired from the supersonic fighter aircraft Sukhoi 30 MK-I at 1030 hrs from Integrated Test Range, Chandipur off the coast of Odisha on December 08, 2021. In this copy book flight, the missile launched from the aircraft followed the pre-planned trajectory meeting all mission objectives. BrahMos is a Joint Venture between India (DRDO) and Russia (NPOM) for the development, production and marketing of the supersonic cruise missile. BrahMos is the potent offensive missile weapon system already inducted into the Armed Forces.
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has praised Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), BrahMos, Indian Air Force and the industry on the successful test firing. Congratulating the teams involved in the flight test, Secretary Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr G Satheesh Reddy said various laboratories of DRDO, academic institutions, quality assurance & certification agencies, Public Sector undertakings and Indian Air Force participated in the development, testing, production and induction of this complex missile system.
The launch is a major milestone in the BrahMos development. It clears the system for the serial production of air-version BrahMos missiles within the country. Major airframe assemblies which form the integral part of the Ramjet Engine are indigenously developed by Indian Industry. These include metallic and non-metallic air frame sections comprising Ramjet fuel tank and pneumatic fuel supply system. During the test,the structural integrity and functional performance have been proven. The air version of BrahMos was last flight tested in July 2021.
The BrahMos (designated PJ-10) is a medium-range ramjet supersonic cruise missile that can be launched from submarine, ships, aircraft or land. It is notably one of the fastest supersonic cruise missiles in the world. It is a joint venture between the Russian Federation’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya and India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), who together have formed BrahMos Aerospace. It is based on the Russian P-800 Oniks cruise missile and other similar sea-skimming Russian cruise missile technology. The name BrahMos is a portmanteau formed from the names of two rivers, the Brahmaputra of India and the Moskva of Russia.
