(Hot Topics) BrahMos Missile Successfull : Test Of The Block-II Version

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In the presence of CEO of BrahMos A. Sivathanu Pillai and other senior scientists on Mar 29, 2009 successfully test fired the land-attack version of the supersonic BrahMos cruise missile at the Pokhran test range in Rajasthan. A joint venture of India and Russia.land attack version of BrahMos block-II was tested from a mobile autonomous launcher at Pokhran test range by the Indian Army. The missile took off successfully and hit the desired target at bull’s eye meeting all mission parameters.This was the second launch in the month of March and third this year for the block-II version for the army.

In the first test, the missile failed to hit the target. The army kept the results of the second test under wraps even though DRDO termed it successful.With this launch, the requirement of army for the land attack version with block-II advanced seeker software with target discriminating capabilities has been fully met and this version is ready for induction. the missile will provide an enhanced capability to the army for selection of a particular land target among a group of targets. Cruise missiles fly at low altitudes and have the ability to evade enemy radars and air-defence systems. They are also easier and cheaper to operate.

The army has already begun inducting the land-fired version of the BrahMos, with the first battery entering service in June 2007. Each battery is equipped with four mobile launchers mounted on heavy 12x12 Tatra transporters.The army plans to induct three more such batteries.

The anti-ship naval version has also been inducted into service with its integration on the destroyer INS Rajput, with two other ships of the same class to be similarly equipped.The missiles will also be mounted on the three 7,000 tonne Kolkata class destroyers currently being constructed at Mumbai’s Mazagon docks.The missile, which takes its name from the Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers, has a 300-km range and carries a 300 kg conventional warhead. It can achieve speeds of up to 2.8 Mach or nearly three times the speed of sound.

Characteristics: BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft or land. It is a joint venture between India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroeyenia who have together formed the BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited.

The acronym BrahMos is perceived as the confluence of the two nations represented by two great rivers, the Brahmaputra of India and the Moskva of Russia. At speeds of Mach 2.5 to 2.8, it is the world’s fastest cruise missile and is about three and a half times faster than the U.S.A’s subsonic Harpoon cruise missile. A hypersonic version of the missile is also presently under development (Lab Tested with 5.26 Mach Speed).

Though India had wanted the BrahMos to be based on a mid range cruise missile, namely P-700 Granit, instead Russia opted for the shorter range sister of the missile, P-800 Oniks, in order to comply with MTCR restrictions, to which Russia is a signatory. Its propulsion is based on the Russian Yakhont missile, and guidance has been developed by BrahMos Corp.The BrahMos has been developed as a joint venture between the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) of India and the Federal State Unitary Enterprise NPO Mashinostroyenia (NPOM) of Russia under BrahMos Aerospace. The missile is named after two rivers, the Brahmaputra and the Moskva.Since late 2004, the missile has undergone several tests from variety of platforms including a land based test from Pokhran desert, in which the ‘S’ maneuver at Mach 2.8 was demonstrated for the Indian Army and a launch in which the land attack capability from sea was demonstrated.11th test of the army version of BrahMos at a test range in ITR ChandipurIndia and Russia intend to make 2,000 BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles over the next ten years through their joint venture company, and nearly 50 percent of them are expected to be exported to friendly countries

Description: BrahMos claims to have the capability of attacking surface targets as low as 10 meters in altitude. It can gain a speed of Mach 2.8, and has a maximum range of 290 km. The ship-launched and land-based missiles can carry a 200 kg warhead, whereas the aircraft-launched variant (BrahMos A) can carry a 300 kg warhead. It has a two-stage propulsion system, with a solid-propellant rocket for initial acceleration and a liquid-fueled ramjet responsible for sustained supersonic cruise. Air-breathing ramjet propulsion is much more fuel-efficient than rocket propulsion, giving the BrahMos a longer range than a pure rocket-powered missile would achieve.

The high speed of the BrahMos likely gives it better target-penetration characteristics than lighter subsonic cruise-missiles such as the Tomahawk.[4] Being twice as heavy and almost four times faster than the Tomahawk, the BrahMos has almost 32 times the initial kinetic energy of a Tomahawk missile (although it pays for this by having only 3/5 the payload and a fraction of the range despite weighing twice as much, suggesting a different tactical paradigm to achieve the objective).

Although BrahMos is primarily an anti-ship missile, it can also engage land based targets. It can be launched either in a vertical or inclined position and is capable of covering targets over a 360 degree horizon. The BrahMos missile has an identical configuration for land, sea, and sub-sea platforms. The air-launched version has a smaller booster and additional tail fins for added stability during launch. The BrahMos is currently being configured for aerial deployment with the Su-30MKI as its carrier.

BrahMos II is a hypersonic cruise missile that has been lab tested with a speed of 5.26 Mach making it the fastest cruise missile in the world. BrahMos II is expected to be ready by 2013-1.4

Current position
The missile is in service with the Indian Navy. Talwar class frigate and Shivalik class frigate are frigates of the Indian Navy that can fire the BrahMos. INS Tabar and INS Trishul are Talwar class vessels armed with supersonic BrahMos while INS Shivalik was the first vessel of the Shivalik class to incorporate the BrahMos The submarine launched version of the missile is ready for testing. The missile was successfully tested with new capabilities for the Indian Army in the deserts of Rajasthan, test range near Pokharan (December 2004 & March 2007). It was inducted into the army on June 21, 2007.

On January 20, 2009, a test of a new BrahMos block II cruise Missile at Pokhran in Rajasthan was conducted with new software. The missile failed to hit the right target among a group of targets. The objective was to hit a small building hidden amongst a group of buildings. According to Brahmos corporation, another test of the new missile will be conducted within one month. which was eventually conducted on 4th March 2009 and was successful.

The air launched version for the Indian Air Force is ready for testing. An expert committee from the DRDO and the Indian Air Force (IAF) has ruled out any structural modification to the advanced Su-30MKI if it is to be fitted with the supersonic BrahMos. January 10, 2009 it was reported that two Indian Air Force (IAF) Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jets have been sent to Russia for a retrofit program that would enable them to launch the aerial version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile

The Indian Air Force would get its own version of Brahmos by 2012. Trials and tests will be carried out by 2011 and it is expected to be inducted into the IAF by 2012.In addition, India’s 5 Il-38 and 8 Tupolev Tu-142 maritime patrol bombers are also to be armed with the missile. There are reports of efforts towards adding the capability to fire the Indo-Russian Brahmos cruise missile from these aircrafts. Mockups have been displayed with air-launched Brahmos attached to underwing pylons on the Indian Navy aircrafts.

Anti Ballistic Missiles

o Prithvi Air Defence Missile (Exo-atmospheric Anti-ballistic missile)

o Advanced Air Defense Missile (Endo-atmospheric Anti-ballistic missile)

Tactical Ballistic Missiles

o Ashwin Tactical Ballistic Missile

o Shaurya Missile (Hypersonic Canisterised Tactical Ballistic Missile)

Ballistic Missiles

Prithvi Missile System - Short Range Ballistic Missile

• Prithvi-I SRBM

• Prithvi-II SRBM

• Prithvi-III SRBM

Agni Missile System

• Agni-I - MRBM

• Agni-II - IRBM

• Agni-III - IRBM

• Agni-V - ICBM (Under Development).

Surya Missile System - Intercontinental Ballistic Missile

• Surya-I ICBM (Under Development).

• Surya-II ICBM (Under Development).

• Surya-III ICBM (Under Development).

• Dhanush Missile - Ship Launched Ballistic Missile

• Sagarika Missile - Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile

Surface-To-Air Missiles

o Trishul

o Akash

o Barak NG

o Maitri Missile - Low Level Quick Reaction Missile (Under Development).

o Igla (SA-18)

o 2K12 Kub

o SA-19 Grisom

Air-To-Surface Missiles

o AGM-142 Popeye

o Zvezda AS-10 Karen

o Aerospatiale AS-30L

o Hawker-Matra Martel Missile

o Kolomna AT-6 Spiral

o Molniya AS-14 Kedge

o Zvezda AS-17 Krypton

o BAe Sea Eagle

o Raduga AS-18 Kazoo

Air-To-Air Missiles

o Python

o Astra BVR

o Vympel AA-8 Aphid

o Matra Magic 2

o Matra Super 530

o Vympel AA-10 Alamo

o Vympel AA-11 Archer

o Vympel AA-12 Adder

Cruise Missiles

Supersonic Cruise Missiles

• Brahmos-I Supersonic Cruise Missile

Hypersonic Cruise Missiles

• Brahmos-II Hypersonic Cruise Missile (Under Development).

Subsonic Cruise Missiles

• Nirbhay Subsonic Cruise Missile

• 3M-54 Klub Subsonic Cruise Missile

• P-500 Bazalt Subsonic Cruise Missile

• Kh-35 SwitchBlade Subsonic Cruise Missile

o Anti-Ship Cruise Missiles

• P-70 Ametist Anti-Ship Cruise Missile

• Moskit Anti-Ship Cruise Missile

• P-700 Granit Anti-Ship Cruise Missile

• P-15 Termit Anti-Ship Cruise Missile

Guided Missiles

• Anti-Tank Guided Missiles

• Nag Anti-tank guided missile

• MILAN 2 Anti-tank guided missile

• MILAN ER Anti-tank guided missile

• 9M14 Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) Anti-tank guided missile

• 9M119 Svir (AT-11 Sniper) Anti-tank guided missile

• Lahat Anti-tank guided missile

• 9M113 Konkurs Anti-tank guided missile

• 9M111 Fagot Anti-tank guided missile

• Helina Air launched Anti-tank m

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