Ajay Banerjee
New Delhi, December 29
The Indian Air Force on Thursday successfully fired the ‘extended-range’ version of the BrahMos Air Launched missile from Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft.
The IAF said it “successfully fired the Extended Range Version of Brahmos Air Launched missile against a Ship Target from a Sukhoi -30 MKI aircraft. The missile achieved the desired mission objectives in the Bay of Bengal region”.
The first such test of extended-range BrahMos was carried out in May this year.
The missile cap of 300 km range on India was undone after the country was inducted into the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) six years ago.
The “extended-range’ version means the missile can travel a distance greater than 300 km. Before India joined the MTCR, the Russian technology of the BrahMos was restricted as MTCR limits the export of missile technology, which can travel beyond 300 kilometers.
With this, the IAF has achieved a significant capability boost to carry out precision strikes from the Sukhoi against targets on land and at sea over very long ranges. “The extended-range capability of the missile, coupled with the high performance of the Sukhoi, gives the IAF a strategic reach and allows it to dominate the future battle fields,” The IAF said.
Besides Russia, the US and its NATO allies and countries like Japan and Australia are part of the MTCR which was set up in 1987.
Sukhoi jets fitted with existing version of Brahmos (300 km range) are based at Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu and are mandated for a maritime role guarding the sea lane of communication. In lay parlance, the jets can be used for sea strikes using the BrahMos missile. The air-launched version of the BrahMos weighs about 2.5 tonnes.
The software development and integration of weapon of the aircraft was undertaken by the IAF engineers while the Hindustan aeronautics Limited (HAL) carried out mechanical and electrical modifications on aircraft.
The Brahmos has in the past been inducted into the Army and Navy.