BrahMos

BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile jointly developed by India and Russia through the BrahMos Aerospace joint venture (established in 1998). The name combines the Brahmaputra (India) and Moskva (Russia) rivers.It is widely regarded as one of the fastest and most accurate cruise missiles in operation today.

Key Features
1. Supersonic Speed
Travels at Mach 2.8–3.0, about three times faster than subsonic cruise missiles.
High speed gives it low reaction time for the target and makes interception extremely difficult.

2. Stealthy, Low-Altitude Flight
Uses sea-skimming and terrain-hugging flight paths.
Reduces detectability by radars.

3. High Precision
Equipped with advanced guidance systems:
INS (Inertial Navigation System)
GPS/GLONASS (satellite navigation)
Terminal seeker for pinpoint strike

4. Versatility
Can be launched from:
Land (mobile launchers)
Sea (warships)
Submarine (vertical launch tubes)
Air (Su-30MKI aircraft)
This makes it a major multi-platform strategic weapon.

Range and Variants
Range Evolution-Initially capped at 290 km due to MTCR restrictions.After India joined MTCR (2016), range increased:
BrahMos Extended Range (ER): ~450–500 km
Testing underway for 800 km–1,000 km versions.

Variants
BrahMos Block I, II, III (land versions)
Block III has a highly maneuverable steep-dive capability for mountain warfare (important for Northeast/China border).
BrahMos-A (air-launched)
BrahMos-NG (Next-Generation)
Smaller, lighter, Mach 3.5, can be integrated on Tejas, AMCA, and naval platforms.

Warhead
Can carry a 200–300 kg conventional warhead.

Designed for: Precision strike on high-value targets

Ships
Hardened bunkers
Command centers

Propulsion-Two-stage missile:
Solid-fuel booster (launch phase)
Liquid-fuel ramjet engine (cruise phase)
This enables sustained high supersonic speed throughout the flight.

India’s First Major Missile Export
The Philippines became the first foreign customer (2022 onwards).
Other Southeast Asian countries have shown interest.
Represents a major milestone in Indian defence exports.

Strategic Importance
Strengthens India’s deterrence posture along land borders and the Indian Ocean region.

Enhances:
Anti-ship warfare capability
Precision deep-strike capability
Rapid-response strike options