BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile,BrahMos-2,Future Weapon,Indian Armed Forces

The BrahMos is a Short range ramjet supersonic cruise missile being developed by BrahMos Aerospace Private limited, a joint venture between Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) of India and NPO Mashinostroeyenia (NPOM) of Russia.The missile can be launched from submarines,ships,aircraft or land.The missile get its name form the names of two rivers , the Brahmaputra of India and the Moskva of Russia.

Brahmos Supersonic cruise missile is considered the world’s most fastest cruise missile in operation. This is the best missile in the Indian Armed forces with its outstanding performance.It is better than other existing state-of-art subsonic cruise missile by various factors like it is 3 times more faster than any other missile in Indian Armed Forces,It has 3 times more flight range,3 to 4 times more seeker range and 9 times more kinetic energy than any other subsonic cruise missile.The missile has identical configuration for land,sea an sub-sea platforms and uses a Transport Launch Canister (TLC) for transportation,storage and Launch.

The flight range of missile is up to 290 km with supersonic speed all through the flight,leading to shorter flight time,consequently ensuring lower dispersion of targets,quicker engagement time and non-interception by any known weapon system in the world. The air launched version of the missile is under development as of 2013. BrahMos missiles are inducted in to the armed forces of India and Russia and can also be exported to friendly nations.

The Missile operates on ‘Fire and Forget Principle’,adopting varieties of flights on its way to target.It can hit the target with large kinetic energy which can also enhanced its destructive power.Its cruising altitude could be up to 15 km and terminal altitude is a low as 10 metres.It carries a conventional warhead weighing 200 to 300 kgs nuclear and semi-armour-piercing.

BrahMos cruise missile development Phase

In February 1998, India and Russia signed an inter-governmental agreement to establish BrahMos Aerospace for producing the BrahMos missiles. The first BrahMos missile was test fired from the integrated test range at Chandipur in Orissa Coast in June 2001. Since then, the missile has been successfully tested from a variety of platforms, including land-based platforms and warships.

In 2008, BrahMos Aerospace acquired Indian state-owned firm Keltec to manufacture and integrate BrahMos components and missile systems. This was necessary to meet the increased orders received from the Indian Army and Navy.

BrahMos missile was launched from a mobile launcher in the Pokhran polygon in Indian state of Rajasthan at 10:0 am (04:30 GMT) on & November 2015 for Ground Targets, according to BrahMos Aerospace Limited.

Special Key Features and Specifications

BrahMos has the capablitiy of attacking surface targets with the accuracy of just 1 metre.It has a diameter of 70 c and  wing span of 1.7m.It is powered by a two-stage propulsion system. Initial acceleration is provided by a solid-propellant booster and supersonic cruise speed is provided by a liquid-fuelled ramjet system. The air-breathing ramjet propulsion is more fuel-efficient in comparison with conventional rocket propulsion. It provides the BrahMos with a longer range over similar missiles powered by rocket propulsion.

With such a pin point accuracy and high speed the BrahMos also features better target-penetration characteristics like  lighter subsonic cruise missiles.The Missile is universal for all platforms.With such a speed the misslile also have low radar signature and specially designed for performing different tactical tasks.It cannot be intercepted by some existing missile defence system and its precision makes it lethal to water targets.It is twice as heavy and almost four times faster than USA’s Tomahawk missile and has more than 32 times the on-cruise kinetic energy of a Tomahawk missile.

With the speed of 2.8 Mach it can be either launched in a vertical or inclined position and is capable of covering targets over a 360-degree horizon. The air-launched version has a smaller booster and additional tail fins for added stability during launch. The BrahMos is currently being configured for aerial deployment with the Su-30MKI as its carrier.

The Missile is equipped with mid-course guidance system by INS,Terminal guidance system by Active Radar Homing in which a missile contains a radar transceiver and the electronics necessary for it to find and track its target autonomously.It also has GPS/GLONASS/Indian Regional Navigation System IRNSS/GAGAN satellite guidance system.

BrahMos block-I, block-II and block-III

The land-based BrahMos block-I was successfully test fired twice in December 2004 and March 2007. The missile was inducted in to the Indian Army in June 2007. Block II, the land attack variant of BrahMos, has also been developed. The missile was first tested in January 2009. In September 2010, the missile was test fired at supersonic speeds in a steep-dive mode and created a world record. In December 2010, the BrahMos block-III+ version was successfully test-fired from the integrated test range at Chandipur, off the Orissa Coast, India.

BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile,BrahMos-2,Future weapon,Indian Armed Forces-Variant

BrahMos N1 ship-based cruise missile

The ship-based BrahMos N1 is launched either from the inclined or vertical launch platform.The missile system can be installed on frigates, corvettes, offshore patrol vessels and other types of vessels to attack sea and land-based targets.

BrahMos Ship Based variant

BrahMos Aerospace has developed a universal vertical launcher module (UVLM) for the BrahMos N1 missile.The UVLM can launch up to eight missiles to destroy a group of warships featuring modern anti-missile defence systems.

The first variant of BrahMos N1 has been installed on front-line warships of the Indian Navy from 2005. A highly manoeuvrable variant of the BrahMos missile was successfully test fired in October 2012 from INS Teg, a Talwar Class guided missile frigate of the Indian Navy.The ship-based cruise missile consists of a fire control system, with high salvo launch capability and enhanced with an inertial navigation system.

BrahMos Submarine cruise missile

The submarine-launched BrahMos missile was successfully test fired on 20 March 2013 at Vishakhapatnam. India is the only country in the world to own a submarine launched supersonic cruise missile.

The missile can be fitted on a vertical launcher installed in the pressure hull of the submarine. It can be launched from submarines under a water depth of 40m-50m. The missile has a range of 290km and can travel at a speed of Mach 3.

BrahMos Air Launch cruise missile

BrahMos Aerospace has completed the development of an air launch variant. The aircraft launcher is being manufactured in cooperation with the Sukhoi Design Bureau, HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics) and Indian Air Force (IAF). The launch platform is integrated in to the SU-30 MKI aircraft. The Indian government has decided to lower the weight and strengthen the structure of the aircraft and rocket launcher of the BrahMos in order to make it more suitable for integration with the SU-30 MKI.

The first test for the air launch missile will be carried out by the end of 2013 and the new missile will be inducted in to the IAF in 2014.

Sukhoi 30Mki armed with BrahMos Supersonic Cruise missile

Future variant of BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile,BrahMos-2,Future weapon,Indian Armed Forces

BrahMos-II (Hypersonic Cruise Missile)

BrahMos Hypersonic Cruise missile

BrahMos-II is a hypersonic cruise missile currently under development and is estimated to have a range of 290-300 km with the speed of 7 Mach, double as from present BrahMos supersonic cruise missile.It would take 7-8 years to complete and when fully developed it will be the fastest hypersonic missile in the world.

BrahMos-NG (Next Generation)

BrahMos-NG (Next Generation) is a mini version based on the existing BrahMos, will have same 290 km range and mach 3.5 speed but it will weigh around 1.5 tons, 5 meters in length and 50 cm in diameter, making BrahMos-NG 50 percent lighter and three meters shorter than its predecessor.

BrahMos Mini Next Generation NG supersonic cruise missile with range of 290 km

BrahMos-NG will have lesser RCS (radar cross section), making it harder for air defense systems to locate and engage the target. It will have Land, Air, ship-borne and Submarine tube-launched variants. First test flight is expected to take place in 2017–18. Initially Brahmos-NG was called as Brahmos-M. The missile will arm the Sukhoi Su-30MKI, MiG-29K and future inductions such as the Dassault Rafale.Submarine launched variant will be capable of being fired from the new P75I class of submarines.

UCAV Variant

There is no any plan to develop a UAV or UCAv variant but only a advice was given by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam to BrahMos Aerospace to develop advanced version of BrahMos cruise missile but there is not any final decision taken.

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