Air variant of BrahMos missile flight-tested from Sukhoi jet
new delhi — India on Wednesday successfully flight-tested the air variant of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from a Sukhoi SU-30MKI fighter jet to hit a sea-based target in the Bay of Bengal, completing the country’s tactical cruise missile triad. This was the first test of the missile’s air version against a target.
The heavyweight missile, integrated with the long-range fighter, is seen as a force multiplier for the Indian Air Force.
BrahMos, the world’s “fastest supersonic cruise missile with a multi-platform, multi-mission role, is now capable of being launched from land, sea and air,” a Defence Ministry statement said here.
“BrahMos created history on November 22 after it was successfully flight-tested for the first time from the IAF frontline fighter aircraft Sukhoi-30MKI against a seabased target in the Bay of Bengal,” the statement said.
Earlier, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tweeted that the missile had been successfully tested. She congratulated the DRDO and Team BrahMos. After being gravity dropped from the Su-30, the two-stage missile’s engine fired up and straightway propelled it toward the intended target.
“The successful maiden testfiring of BrahMos Air Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM) from Su30MKI will significantly bolster the IAF’s air combat capability from stand-off ranges. —