The Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully fired aerial version of supersonic BrahMos cruise missile from a Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft.
Key Highlights
- About: The IAF successfully fired BrahMos Air Launched Missile from its frontline Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft.
- Background: Earlier on 22 November 2017, the IAF became World’s first Air Force to successfully fire an air launched 2.8 Mach surface attack missile of this category on a sea target. Since then this was the second such live launch of weapon.
- Result: The launch from Su-30 MKI aircraft was smooth and missile followed desired calculated trajectory before directly hitting land target.
- Safety: The firing was successfully undertaken with dedicated support from Indian Navy which ensured that large number of monitoring ship are available for ensuring range safety clearance.
- Significance: The capability of BrahMos missile coupled with superlative performance of Su-30MKI aircraft gives IAF its desired strategic reach.
- Complex Process: The integration of missile weapon on aircraft was a very complex process which involved electrical, mechanical and software modifications on aircraft. The IAF engineers undertook software development of aircraft and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) carried out mechanical and electrical modifications on aircraft.
- Others involved: The dedicated and synergetic efforts of IAF, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and BrahMos Aerospace Pvt. Ltd. (BAPL) proved the nation’s capability of undertaking such complex integrations.
About BrahMos Air Launched Missile
- It is a 2.5 ton supersonic air to surface cruise missile. It range is close to 300 km, and is designed and developed by BrahMos Aerospace Pvt. Ltd. (BAPL).
- The BrahMos missile provides IAF a much desired capability of striking on any target at sea or on land from large stand-off ranges with pinpoint accuracy by day or night and that too in all weather conditions.