India test-fires new version of BrahMos
NEW DELHI/
BALASORE: India on Wednesday successfully test fired a new version of the surface-tosurface supersonic cruise missile BrahMos having a range of around 400 km from an integrated test range at Balasore in Odisha, officials said. The missile, featuring a number of indigenously developed sub-systems, was flight tested from a land based mobile launcher for a designated range at 10:30 am from the integrated test range in Balasore.
BALASORE: India on Wednesday successfully test-fired BrahMos supersonic cruise missile with several indigenous features from a test range in Odisha, in a major step towards achieving “Atmanirbhar Bharat” pledge, defence sources said.
The surface-to-surface cruise missile, featuring indigenous booster and airframe section along with other Made in India sub-systems, blasted off from the launching complex-III of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) near here, a defence statement said.
Describing the trial conducted at 10.30 am as “successful,” Defence Research and Development (DRDO) officials said, all parameters were met during the flight test of the missile which has a strike range of more than 400 km.
The BrahMos Land-Attack Cruise Missile (LACM) was cruising at a top speed of Mach 2.8. The successful trial of the state-of-the-art cruise missile is one more major step in enhancing the indigenous content, the statement said.
“Today’s successful launch has paved the way for the serial production of the indigenous booster and other indigenous components of the powerful BrahMos Weapon System realising Atma Nirbhar Bharat pledge,” it added.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and DRDO chairman congratulated DRDO personnel, team BrahMos and the industry for the spectacular mission.
The BrahMos can be launched from land, sea platforms as well as fighter jets, defence sources said. Jointly developed by the DRDO and NPOM, a leading aerospace enterprise of Russia, the BrahMos is a medium-range ramjet supersonic cruise missile capable of being launched from submarines too.