BrahMos is a cutting-edge supersonic cruise missile designed as a joint venture by India and Russia under BrahMos Aerospace. The missile is one of the fastest cruise missiles on the planet and is intended to strike sea and land targets with precision. It is versatile, and its deployment can be in different platforms like ships, submarines, aircraft, and launchers on land.
Origin and Development of BrahMos Missile System
- Developed by: India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia's NPO Mashinostroyeniya.
- Name Origin: The BrahMos name has been derived from two rivers, the Brahmaputra of India and Moskva of Russia.
- First Induction: Indian Navy (2005), Indian Army (2007), Indian Air Force (2019 with Su-30MKI aircraft).
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Key Specifications
| Feature | Details |
| Type | Supersonic cruise missile |
| Length | Approx. 8.2 meters (varies by variant) |
| Diameter | Around 0.67 to 0.7 meters |
| Wingspan | 1.7 meters |
| Weight | 2,200 to 3,000 kg depending on variant |
| Warhead | 200 to 300 kg conventional high-explosive or semi-armour piercing warhead |
| Propulsion | Two-stage: Solid rocket booster + liquid-fueled ramjet sustainer |
| Speed | Mach 2.8 to Mach 3.5 (supersonic cruise) |
| Range | 290 km (original) to 500 km (extended range variants); up to 800 km in advanced versions |
| Flight Altitude | Sea-skimming as low as 3-10 meters; max altitude up to 15,000 meters |
| Guidance System | Inertial navigation system (INS) + Satellite navigation (SatNav) mid-course, active radar homing terminal guidance |
| Accuracy | 1 meter Circular Error Probable (CEP) |
| Launch Platforms | Ships, submarines, land-based TELs, fighter aircraft (Su-30MKI) |
Propulsion and Flight Profile
The BrahMos missile uses a two-stage propulsion system:
- Stage 1: Solid-propellant rocket booster helps the missile launch to supersonic speeds.
- Stage 2: Liquid-fueled ramjet sustainer maintains high supersonic speed (close to Mach 3) throughout the cruise phase.
This combination allows the missile to have a high speed, longer range, and better fuel efficiency compared to pure rocket-powered missiles.
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Performance and Capabilities
- Speed: The missile has supersonic speed from lift-off until impact, approximately Mach 3, which reduces the flight duration and target spread considerably.
- Range: The BrahMos itself has a range of 290 km, though longer-range versions have taken it up to 500 km and beyond, while future variants look to take ranges up to 800 km and even 1,500 km for hypersonic variants.
- Flight Altitude: It is able to cruise as high as 15 km and make sea-skimming attacks as low as 3 to 10 meters in order to avoid detection by radar.
- Accuracy: It is accurate to within 1 meter CEP and can achieve pinpoint strikes.
- Warhead: Delivers a conventional warhead of weight ranging from 200 to 300 kg with high kinetic energy impact owing to high velocity.
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Variants of BrahMos Missile
| Variant | Range (km) | Speed (Mach) | Launch Platform | Warhead (kg) | Status |
| BrahMos Block I | 290 | ~3 | Land, Ship | 200-300 | In service |
| BrahMos Air-Launched (BrahMos-A) | 500 | ~3 | Su-30MKI Fighter Aircraft | 300 | In service |
| BrahMos Extended Range | 450-500 | ~3 | Land, Ship | 200-300 | Under induction/testing |
| BrahMos-II (Hypersonic) | Up to 1500 | ~8 | Future variant (planned) | TBD | Development stage |
| BrahMos-NG (Next Gen) | 290 | ~3.5 | Land, Air, Submarine (planned) | Reduced weight | Testing/Development |
Special Features
Universal Platform Compatibility: Common configuration for land, sea, and sub-sea platforms.
Fire-and-Forget: No further operator input required after firing.
Stealth Technology: Low radar cross-section for enhanced survivability.
High Kinetic Energy: Due to supersonic speed, impact energy is significantly higher than subsonic missiles.
Multiple Flight Trajectories: Can adopt various flight trajectories like steep dives and sea-skimming to get through defenses.
Transport Launch Canister (TLC): Facilitates easy transport, storage, and launch.
Operational Use and Deployment
Indian Navy: Vertical and inclined launch ship configurations.
Indian Army: Land-based mobile autonomous launchers.
Indian Air Force: Air-launched variant on Su-30MKI fighter integration.
Submarine Launch: Submarine-launched variants are induction-ready, increasing stealth strike capability.
The BrahMos missile development keeps going with proposals for:
- Hypersonic BrahMos-II variant with speeds in excess of Mach 8 and ranges up to 1,500 km.
- BrahMos-NG, reduced-sized and weight missile with improved stealth and AESA radar guidance.
- Long-range models up to 800 km and beyond, exploiting India's membership in the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR).
- Integration with other air and submarine platforms.
The BrahMos missile is an effective weapon system with speed, accuracy, and versatility. With its supersonic speed and multi-platform launchability, it is a weapon without which India's defense establishment feels incomplete. Its ongoing development towards greater range, speed, and stealth capabilities sees BrahMos sitting at the top as one of the world's leading cruise missile systems.
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