Indian Air Force successfully test-fires 400 km range version of BrahMos Air Launched missile

New Delhi: The Indian Air Force successfully test-fired the Extended Range Version of BrahMos Air Launched missile on December 29. The missile was test-fired against a Ship Target from a SU-30MKI aircraft in the Bay of Bengal region and it achieved the desired mission objectives. With this successful fire, the Indian Air Force has now developed the capability to carry out precision strikes from SU-30MKI aircraft.

Correction | Indian Air Force today* successfully fired the Extended Range Version of Brahmos Air Launched missile against a Ship Target from a SU-30MKI aircraft. The missile achieved the desired mission objectives in the Bay of Bengal region. pic.twitter.com/4XThrh50Qi

— ANI (@ANI) December 29, 2022

This missile fire is a huge boost for IAF as it can now precisely fire at targets on land and sea from SU-30MKI aircraft. According to IAF, the extended range of the Brahmos Air Launched missile along with the performance of the SU-30MKI aircraft gives the air force a strategic edge and will allow the forces to dominate the future battlefields. The missile can hit targets at a range of about 400 km.

The mission was achieved with the collaborative efforts of the IAF, the Indian Navy, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the BrahMos Aerospace (BAPL) and the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

In May 2022, the extended-range version of the supersonic missile was tested from the Sukhoi fighter and the extended range was reported to be 350 km as compared to its previous 290 km. The BrahMos missile has a two-stage solid propellant booster engine that takes it to supersonic speed and a liquid ramjet engine in the second stage, which takes it closer to Mach 3 speed in the cruise phase. The missile can be launched from air, land and sea platforms and can have a low radar signature.