PremiumThe launch of extended-range version of BrahMos missile from Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft was as planned and it achieved a direct hit on designated target in Bay of Bengal region, the IAF said
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The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Thursday said it has successfully test-fired an extended-range version of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from a Sukhoi fighter jet in the Bay of Bengal.
The launch from Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft was as planned and the missile achieved a direct hit on designated target in Bay of Bengal region, news agency ANI said quoting the IAF.
The range of the advanced version of this BrahMos missile is extended to around 350 km from the original 290 km.
It was the first launch of the extended range version of BrahMos missile from Su-30 MKI aircraft, the defence ministry said in a statement.
"The launch from the aircraft was as planned and the missile achieved a direct hit on the designated target in the Bay of Bengal region," the ministry added.
"With this test fire, the Indian Air Force has achieved the capability to carry out precision strikes from Su-30MKI aircraft against a land/ sea target over very long ranges.
The dedicated and synergetic efforts of the IAF, Indian Navy, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited (BAPL) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) have proven the capability of the nation to achieve this feat, the ministry said.
The extended range capability of the missile coupled with the high performance of the Su-30MKI aircraft gives the IAF a strategic reach and allows it to dominate the future battle fields.
BrahMos missile flies at a speed of 2.8 Mach or almost three times the speed of sound.
On April 19, the IAF successfully test-fired a BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from a Sukhoi fighter jet on the eastern seaboard. The IAF had conducted a ‘live firing’ in close co-ordination with the Indian Navy. The missile, according to IAF, had directly hit a decommissioned Indian Navy Ship.
In the year 2016, the Indian government decided to integrate the air-launched variant of the Brahmos into over 40 Sukhoi fighter jets.
The project was conceived to enhance the IAF's capability to strike from large stand-off ranges on any target on sea or land.