Bhubaneswar: India successfully test-fired supersonic cruise missile BrahMos off the Odisha coast on Monday.
The missile was fired at 10:18 am from the launch complex three of Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in Balasore district and successfully flew in its pre-set trajectory meeting its mission objectives, Defence Research and Development (DRDO) officials said.
“With this, India has achieved another milestone in the defence sector,” the officials added.
According to sources, the missile was gravity dropped from the aircraft. The missile’s engine fired up and pushed it towards the intended target. The missile was taken to supersonic speed in the first stage and accelerated closer to Mach 3 (thrice the speed of sound) in the second stage.
The test was conducted as part of the missile’s life extension programme. BrahMos is the first missile whose life has been extended from 10 years to 15 years. The test was aimed at gauging its killing probability in extreme conditions, the sources added.
A hypersonic (March 5) version of the missile is also being worked upon.
The guided cruise missile is being developed jointly by the Defence Research and Development Organisation, and Russia’s NPOM. It is named after two rivers – India’s Brahmaputra and Russia’s Moskva.
Earlier, two trials of BrahMos missiles were conducted on May 21 and 22 in which the major sub-systems manufactured indigenously under the ”Make in India” campaign were tested.
