India successfully test-fires BrahMos cruise missile

The BrahMos missile is a two-stage vehicle that has a solid propellant booster and a liquid propellant ram-jet system. Developed jointly with Russia,the missile can be launched from multiple platforms like submarine,ship,aircraft and land based Mobile Autonomous Launchers (MAL). The missile can fly at 2.8 times the speed of sound. It can carry conventional warheads up to 300 kg.

The missile can effectively attack ground targets from an altitude as low as 10 meters. The missile was last tested successfully on Sept 5 at a supersonic speed in a steep-dive mode.

One regiment of the 290-km range BrahMos-I variant,which consists of 67 missiles,five mobile autonomous launchers on 12×12 Tatra vehicles and two mobile command posts,among other equipment,is already operational in the Indian Army. Indian navy has begun inducting the first version of BrahMos missile system in all its frontline war ships from 2005.

The Army,is in the process of inducting two more regiments of the BrahMos Block-II land-attack cruise missiles (LACM).