Odisha: First test of supersonic cruise missile BrahMos with life extension technology successful
The missile, which has derived its name from the Brahmaputra and Moskova rivers, was developed by an Indo-Russian joint venture after the two countries signed an agreement in February 1998.
Published: 21st May 2018 02:06 PM | Last Updated: 21st May 2018 02:26 PM | A+A A-
Supersonic cruise missile BrahMos being test fired with life extension technology. (Express Photo)
BHUBANESWAR: India successfully conducted first life extension test of supersonic cruise missile BrahMos from a defence base off Odisha coast on Monday.
A joint venture of India and Russia, the world-class BrahMos is the first weapon system in Indian arsenal whose life has been extended from 10 years to 15 years.
Defence sources said, the missile was fired from a mobile autonomous launcher (MAL) deployed in full configuration at Chandipur-based launching complex – III of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at about 10.40 am.
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has congratulated the Team BrahmMos and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for successful flight testing of the missile to validate life extension technology developed for the first time in India.
"The successful test will result in huge savings of replacement cost of missiles held in the inventory of Indian Armed Forces," the Defence Minister tweeted.
All telemetry and tracking stations including naval ships near terminal point have confirmed the mission success. The missile took off successfully and hit the designated target meeting all mission parameters.
“The formidable missile system has once again proved its mettle with the life extension technology. The land-attack version of the supersonic cruise system met its mission parameters in a copybook manner,” said a defence official.
The missile, which has derived its name from the Brahmaputra and Moskova rivers, was developed by an Indo-Russian joint venture after the two countries signed an agreement in February 1998. The nine meter long missile can travel at thrice the speed of sound and carry a conventional warhead weighing upto 300 kg.
The missile has already been inducted in the Army and Navy while the process is on for an early induction in the Air Force. Its land-based weapon complex comprises four to six mobile autonomous launchers controlled by a mobile command post (MCP), and a mobile replenishment vehicle (MRV).
The missiles equipped with inertial navigation system and global positioning system can be fired on three different targets or in a variety of other combinations near simultaneously.
BrahMos is the only supersonic cruise missile possessing the advanced capability providing an edge to the user with precise hit. The Indian army is the first army in the World to have a regiment of supersonic cruise missile with advanced capabilities.
Meanwhile, the strike range of BrahMos has already been extended from 290 km to 450 km after India’s full membership to the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), which removed caps on range of the cruise missile.
