Flying 1,500 KM From A Southern Air Base, IAF's Su-30 MKI Fighter Jet Successfully Test Fire BrahMos-A Supersonic Cruise Missile

The Indian Air Force (IAF) conducted a test of the BrahMos-A supersonic air-launched cruise missile from Sukhoi Su-30 MKI fighter jets in the Bay of Bengal today (18 October), reported ANI.

The BrahMos-A is the air-launched variant of the BrahMos land attack and anti-ship cruise missile, specifically designed for firing from Sukhoi Su-30 MKI fighter jets.

Each Sukhoi jet has the capacity to carry one BrahMos-A missile on its underbelly pylon.

According to the report, the missile was test-fired from Sukhoi aircraft that took off from an airbase in the southern peninsula, presumably the Thanjavur Air Base, covering a distance of over 1500 kilometers.

The Thanjavur Air Base is home to the sole Sukhoi Su-30 MKI squadron in the southern peninsula, No. 222 Squadron 'Tigersharks,' which is equipped with BrahMos-A missiles.

Additionally, the report indicates that this was an extended-range version of the supersonic missile.

This test comes just seven days after (11 October), armed forces conducted four test of BrahMos-ER extended-range supersonic cruise missiles in under two days.

The extended-range variant, BrahMos-ER, can strike land and sea targets at a maximum range of 400 to 500 kilometers.

These tests were conducted as part of the pre-induction trials of the supersonic missile.

Following the successful conclusion of the trials, an Indian Army officer stated, "The missile has not yet been inducted, and the Indian Army will consider its induction based on the outcomes of the test."

The missile is expected to undergo further trials before its formal induction into the armed forces.

The BrahMos missile, first tested in June 2001, was jointly developed by the Russian NPO Mashinostroyeniya and the Defence Research and Development Organisation.

The baseline version of the missile can strike targets at a maximum range of 290 kilometers, with a speed of 2.9 Mach, or 2.9 times the speed of sound.

Since then, the missile has undergone iterative developments, enabling it to strike targets at ranges of more than 500 kilometers.