New Delhi: The Indian Air Force (IAF), Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) and BrahMos jointly successfully conducted two BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles tests on Tuesday, one each from land and air platforms.
The first missile launch was from a land based mobile launcher, where most of the components were indigenous, including the missile airframe, fuel management system and DRDO designed seeker, a defence official said.
The second launch of the missile was carried out by Indian Air force (IAF) from SU-30MKI platform against a sea target. The launch from the aircraft was smooth and the missile followed the desired trajectory and achieved a direct hit on the sea target, off Odisha Coast line.
The test conducted in user configuration, revalidated the ship attack capability of the advanced air-launched cruise missile.
During the test, the missile was gravity dropped from the air combat platform's fuselage and the two-stage weapon’s engine fired up and the missile straightaway propelled towards the intended target positioned at the sea, piercing it with pin point accuracy.
Earlier on May 22, the IAF had successfully tested the missile against a land-based target in the Car Nicobar Islands region.
The BrahMos missile provides Indian Air Force a much desired capability to strike form 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 high performance of the Su-30MKI aircraft gives the IAF a strategic reach and allows it to dominate the battle fields over land and sea.
Department of Defence R&D Secretary and DRDO Chairman G Satheesh Reddy congratulated the DRDO, BrahMos and Indian Air Force teams for the successful tests.
Director General BrahMos Sudhir Mishra, Defence Research & Development Laboratory Director Dashrath Ram and Director Integrated Test Range Binoy Kumar Das were present during the trials.
