BrahMos cruise missile successfully test-fired

An upgraded version of 290- km range BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was successfully test fired by India on Thursday from Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur off the Orissa coast."Block III version of BrahMos with advanced guidance and upgraded software, incorporating high manoeuvres at multiple points and steep dive from high altitude was flight tested successfully from Launch Complex III of ITR," its Director S P Dash said after the test fire from a mobile launcher at 1100 hours.

All telemetry and tracking stations including naval ships near the terminal point have confirmed the mission's success, he said."It was a text book launch and the mission was successful," distinguished defence scientist A Sivathannu Pillai, who is also the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director of BrahMos Aerospace said.The 8.4 meter missile which can fly at 2.8 times the speed of sound is capable of carrying conventional warheads of up to 300 kg for a range of 290 km.

It can effectively engage ground targets from an altitude as low as 10 meters for surgical strikes at terror training camps across the border without causing collateral damage."The trial was witnessed by high ranking officials of the Army, who expressed happiness to have such high potential weapon system," a defence press release said.

Director DRDL, P Venugopalan and Project Director S Som, were present during the launch.The Defence Minister congratulated DRDO and BrahMos scientists, army officers and the entire team for the success of the mission, it said.

BrahMos is capable of being launched from multiple platforms like submarine, ship, aircraft and land based Mobile Autonomous Launchers (MAL).One regiment of the 290-km range BrahMos-I variant, which consists of 67 missiles, five mobile autonomous launchers on 12x12 Tatra vehicles and two mobile command posts, among other equipment, is already operational in the Indian Army, defence sources said.

The Indian Navy has begun the process of inducting the first version of BrahMos missile system in all frontline warships from 2005.The Army is in the process of inducting two more regiments of BrahMos Block-II land-attack cruise missiles (LACM), which have been designed as precision strike weapons capable of hitting small targets in urban environments.The first flight test of BrahMos missile was conducted on June 12, 2001 at the ITR and the last was successfully carried out on September 5, 2010 from the same place.