India Review & Analysis

IAF tests BrahMos missile air-firing

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The Indian Air Force (IAF) successful­ly fired the air version of the BrahMos missile from its frontline Sukhoi Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft. The launch from the aircraft was smooth and the missile followed the desired trajectory before directly hitting the land target.

The air launched BrahMos missile is a 2.5 ton supersonic air to surface cruise missile, with ranges of close to 300 km, designed and developed by BAPL. The IAF became the first Air Force in the world to have successful­ly fired an air launched 2.8 Mach surface attack missile of this category on a sea target on November 22, 2017. The launch on May 22 was the second such live launch of the weapon.

The integratio­n of the weapon on the aircraft was a very complex process involving mechanical, electrical and software modificati­ons on the aircraft. The IAF has been involved in the activity from its inception. The software developmen­t of the aircraft was undertaken by IAF engineers while HAL carried out mechanical and electrical modificati­ons on it. The synergetic efforts of the IAF, DRDO, BAPL and HAL have proven the country’s capability to undertake such complex integratio­ns.

The firing could be successful­ly undertaken with support from the Indian Navy by way of ensuring availabili­ty of a large number of monitoring ships to ensure range safety clearance.

The BrahMos missile provides the IAF the desired capability to strike from large stand-off ranges on any target at sea or on land with pinpoint accuracy, by day or night and in all weather conditions. The capability of the missile coupled with the superlativ­e performanc­e of the Su-30MKI aircraft gives the IAF the desired strategic reach.

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