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BrahMos: Everything you need to know about the cruise missile system

Defence iq talks to the jv’s general manager and marketing director praveen pathak on brahmos' current status and future plans..

Chasing the world’s fastest jet-launched cruise missile

BRAHMOS BrahMos first drop and launch from a Su-30 MK I

Defence IQ : Typically, a weapon of eight metres in length and close to three tons in weight is typically carried by bombers like the B-1B or Tu-160. This makes the Sukhoi Su-30MK very unique as it is able to carry the BrahMos… P. Pathak : Yes, this is only possible with a unique platform like the Indian Sukhois, itself a class of its own among the fighters. BrahMos is a huge achievement of Russian- Indian military and technical cooperation. These successful achievements from India’s DRDO. Defence Research & Development Organisation] and Russia’s Mashinostroyenia have spread progress and innovation across facilities in both nations. Defence IQ : After several years, tests and trials, can you tell us about the journey to where you currently are with the project? P. Pathak : I’ll start with a brief history. The missile was jointly developed in the late 1990s and 2000s by the Research & Production Association of Machine-Building [in the town of Reutov near Moscow] and our DRDO, thanks to an agreement between the governments of Russia and India, signed on February 12, 1998. BrahMos is a modification of Sovietera anti-ship missiles [Oniks, Yakont] developed by the Reutov Design Bureau in the late 1980s. The name derived from India’s Brahmaputra and Russia’s Moskva rivers. The first test launch was conducted on June 12, 2001, at the Chandipur range in Odisha, India, and subsequently, the missiles began production at enterprises in both countries. Development of these cruise missiles is a natural progression for India, in seeking to develop various platforms for its military arsenal, either on its own or with a partner – but nevertheless, in India. BrahMos is technically a ramjetpowered supersonic cruise missile with a solid propellant booster that can be launched from land-based canisters, submarines, ships and now aircraft. It travels at speeds of Mach 2.8 to 3.0 but is being upgraded in the future to travel at speeds faster than Mach 5.0. for the hypersonic variant.

"BrahMos is technically a ramjet-powered supersonic cruise missile with a solid propellant booster"

BRAHMOS Brahmos has been fired successfully from Indian submarines

Defence IQ : An Indian pilot in Bahrain stated that the latest developments have been particularly challenging and lengthy. Is that the experience you’ve had? P. Pathak : He’s right! Integration efforts onto the flying platform were very complex involving mechanical, electrical and software modifications of the aircraft. The Indian Air Force [IAF] was involved in the development process, as software development of the aircraft was undertaken by the IAF engineers. HAL [state-run Hindustan Aircraft Ltd.] carried out the mechanical and electrical modifications on the aircraft. In addition, the air-launched variant had to be made 500 kg lighter than the land/naval variants. One of the major challenges DRDO scientists had to overcome was the optimisation of transfer-alignment inertial sensors. Thankfully, the experience of the IAF flight test crew and the dedicated and synergetic efforts of the IAF, DRDO and HAL ensured that the integration was smooth. Altogether, it has proven India’s ability to undertake such complex integrations on its own.

"One of the major challenges DRDO scientists had to overcome was the optimisation of transferalignment inertial sensors"

Defence IQ : What tests were undertaken before serial production? P. Pathak : Serial production has been ongoing for the Army and Navy for more than 10 years. Regarding the air variant of BrahMos, there are two important dates. In June 2016, two test-pilots of the ASTE [Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment, a premier IAF, at Bengaluru] carried out the first flights and carriage-tests with a full weight test-vehicle of BrahMos on a Su-30MKI. RECOMMENDED: How capable is the S-400 missile system? And in November 2017, the IAF successfully fired the BrahMos-A in an anti-shipping configuration from the same frontline fighter aircraft, off the Eastern Coast in the Bay of Bengal. The launch was smooth; it fell for about 100 to 150 metres, ignited and followed the desired trajectory, before directly hitting the target ship. This only succeeded with dedicated support from the Indian Navy, by way of ensuring availability of the targets and a large number of monitoring ships to ensure data collection and range safety clearance. Defence IQ : Excellent! Can you tell us about the accuracy of the 3-tonne missiles? P. Pathak : Recently, a final phase steep dive test of the missile was conducted and it proved to have landed within a range of 10 metres of the targeted area, fired over a range of almost 300 km. Defence IQ : Impressive! With regards to ranges, there was a report that BrahMos now benefits from India’s access to the 34-nation Missile Technology Control Regime. Is this the case? P. Pathak: Yes. In June 2016 India was bound by restrictions that limited the range of the operational missile to less than 300km. We had already experimented with the range from 290km to 400km and then successfully first testfired a variant in March 2017. But, increasing the missile’s range from 400km to a further 800km is now possible after India’s induction into the MTCR. And that is being considered…

"The IAF wants two Squadrons of Su-30 MKIs to be modified to accommodate BrahMos, but HAL is proposing to build new aircraft"

BRAHMOS A Brahmos missile on a HAL Tejas fighter

Defence IQ : Interesting! What can you tell us about the current versions employed by the Army and Navy? P. Pathak : Currently, the Army is equipped with three regiments of Block-III BrahMos, with two fully operational. Last year there was a successful test-firing from a test range at Chandipur along the Odisha coast, to validate some new features like an indigenous Indian seeker. It was to conduct and validate life extension technologies, developed for the first time in India. Our Minister of Defence, Nirmala Sitharaman, congratulated the DRDO scientists for the successful launch with new technology. RECOMMENDED: The future of artillery and long range missile systems: Industry outlook This will result in huge savings in replacement missiles already in the inventory of Indian Forces. Regarding the Navy, induction of the first version of the missile system in the Indian Navy began on [destroyer] INS Rajput, back in in 2005. After two successful test trials from INS Kolkata in June 2014 and February 2015 and a test firing from INS Kochi in September 2015, the newly commissioned ship’s systems were validated. Additionally, we’re starting to see good results incorporating BrahMos into submarines with the first firings from a submerged platform having already taken place. Defence IQ : The two surface ships you mentioned – are they carrying BrahMos in launchers or vertically? P. Pathak : In both, actually. There are older vessels that carry them in side-launchers [INS Ranvir D54, a ‘Kashin’ Class Destroyer Project 61ME], but some have been fitted with a module of the ‘Universal Vertical Launcher’, which is very state-of-the-art. Last October, the Cabinet Committee on Security [through which all Indian defence procurement has to be approved by Prime Minister N. Modi], has cleared the procurement of four Krivak-class frigates from Russia. These will be BrahMos-armed in vertical launchers, two to be built in a Russian shipyard [at Yantar in Kaliningrad], and the other two in India [Goa Shipyard Ltd.]. Defence IQ : And what about the future? At AERO-INDIA there was a blue NG [Next Generation] version shown, under the much smaller LCA [light combat aircraft] Tejas fighter. Is that likely to appear soon? P. Pathak : Quite a lot of planning is ongoing right now. BrahMos- Aerospace is actually working on several future versions, which shouldn’t be confused. A smaller version of the missile, termed Mini BrahMos, will be half the weight of the present missile but with more speed. This is part of independent research by the company to explore if a missile with smaller size can be as effective. Then there is – or will come – BrahMos NG , the latest development that will be launched from submarine torpedo-tubes, and the NG-A, launching also from the Su-30MKI as well as from the LCA Tejas and MiG-29s. A big difference is that, on the Sukhoi, up to five BrahMos-NG missiles could be carried, with two missiles on each wing and one under the fuselage. The MiG-29 and the LCA would carry two. The digitized NG means it comes with a digital fuel injection system that will increase thrust, unlike the current versions that have a mechanical fuel injection system. It also will be even faster, up to Mach 3.5. Defence IQ : So it will be smaller, but will retain the same range? P. Pathak : Yes. BrahMos-NG will have same 290 km range, but it will weigh around 1.5 tons and be 5 meters in length and 50 cm in diameter, making it 50% lighter and three meters shorter than its predecessor. However, having a smaller radar cross-section makes it super fast and harder to detect by anti-missile systems. Defence IQ : Which means it can use smaller platforms and lighter vehicles? P. Pathak : The land variant of the NG missile will be hosted on 8x8 launch vehicles, unlike the older version which used 12x12 launch vehicles. We had earlier designed it for the Navy, but this time it could also develop into an air-to-air version, against slow manoeuvring force multipliers, deep within enemy territory. Defence IQ : Could it serve as an air-to-air AWACS killer even after being fired from the Indian side of the border? Similarly, one supposes it could target enemy refuelling aircraft or transports… P. Pathak : That is within the scope of the system and the engineers are quoting it as quite possible. Defence IQ : What is the current timeframe projected? P. Pathak : A first test firing of the sleeker, lighter NG version could take place within two years, with feasibility studies showing the way forward to integrate it onto the LCA. They have found what modifications need to be done to the LCA’s wing to carry the NG, as well as some changes to the missile. RECOMMENDED: How the APKWS is improving the Hydra-70: BAE Systems interview Full integration, which we think can be expected within four years, will also boost the export potential of the fighter jet, as it would resemble a potent indigenous weapon system that can take down land targets or ships at a distance of almost 300 km.

"Research and development are already on their path to developing the hypersonic variant, called BrahMos II"

Defence IQ : And what about the hypersonic capability? P. Pathak : Research and development are already on their path to developing the hypersonic variant, called BrahMos II. It is projected to double the speed of the current BrahMos, potentially up to Mach 7. Defence IQ : And that will also be named the ‘BrahMos ER’? P. Pathak : The abbreviation ‘ER’ refers to the extended-range version up to 800 km, but not the hypersonic BrahMos-II, which goes even further. We calculate that an 800 km version might be ready for testing by end of this year.

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India test-fires enhanced BrahMos supersonic cruise missile

The MoD said the test marked a 'major milestone' in the BrahMos programme.

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The Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced the successful test-firing of an enhanced version of the Brahmos supersonic cruise missile.

The test was conducted at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur, Odisha.

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According to the MoD, the missile followed its predicted trajectory, cruised at supersonic speed for its maximum range and met all mission objectives during the latest textbook flight test.

The test was said to mark a ‘major milestone’ in the BrahMos programme and comes after the MoD test-fired an air-launched version of the missile last month.

For the latest test, the missile was fitted with advanced indigenous technologies and followed a modified optimal trajectory for improved efficiency and better performance.

The MoD noted that the ballistic missile was monitored by several telemetry, radar, electro-optical stations and downrange ships positioned along the eastern coast.

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Brahmos Aerospace and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) carried out the launch, with DRDO and Russian rocket design bureau NPO Mashinostroyeniya (NPOM) taking part in the test.

BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture between DRDO and NPOM, has upgraded the missile ‘continuously’ to increase its effectiveness.

The missile weapon system has already been inducted into the Indian Armed Forces.

Department of Defence Research and Development (R&D) Secretary and chairman DRDO Dr Satheesh Reddy commended the team for its use of indigenous content and increasing the weapon systems’ efficiency.

The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile is the fastest operational system of its class in the world.

It is a medium-range ramjet supersonic cruise missile that can be launched from vessels, submarines, aircraft or land platforms.

The missile can hit its targets with high precision and operate in adverse conditions both during daylight and after dark, with a strike range of further than 400km.

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BRAHMOS supersonic cruise missile, with enhanced capability, successfully test-fired off Odisha coast

NEW DELHI: BRAHMOS supersonic cruise missile, with increased indigenous content and improved performance, was successfully test-fired from Integrated Test Range, Chandipur off the coast of Odisha at 1030 hrs on January 20, 2022. The launch was conducted by Brahmos Aerospace in close coordination with the teams of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). In this text-book flight, the missile followed the predicted trajectory meeting all mission objectives. The flight test is a major milestone in the way forward for the BRAHMOS programme. The highly manouverable missile cruised at supersonic speed for its maximum range and all mission objectives were met. The missile was equipped with advanced indigenous technologies and followed a modified optimal trajectory for enhanced efficiency and improved performance. The missile with the modified control system has been fine-tuned to achieve an enhanced capability. This flight test was monitored by all the sensors of the range instrumentation including telemetry, radar and electro-optical tracking systems deployed across the eastern coast and the down range ships. Teams from DRDO and NPOM, Russia participated in the test.   BrahMos Aerospace, the joint venture between DRDO and NPOM, Russia, has been continuously upgrading the powerful, highly versatile BrahMos to increase its effectiveness and lethality against sea and land targets. BRAHMOS is the potent missile weapon system already inducted into the Armed Forces. Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has complimented the BrahMos, DRDO teams and industry for the successful flight test. Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr. G Satheesh Reddy appreciated the scientists and engineers for continuously putting efforts to maximise the weapon system’s efficiency and more focus on indigenous content. Director General, BrahMos Shri Atul D Rane congratulated the joint teams of NPOM, Russia and DRDO teams involved in the test.

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"Every Indian takes pride when he hears that the BrahMos missile 'Made in India' is considered the deadliest and the most advanced in its category. For many countries, the BrahMos missile has emerged as their preferred choice" - Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India

"The traditional partnership between India & Russia has been tested by the time and time and it is the most important stabilizing factor, not only for the asian region, but for the whole world" - Mr Vladimir Putin, President of Russia

"Time has come for BrahMos Aerospace to work on Mark-II version of BRAHMOS so that we will still be the market leader in hypersonic cruise missiles." - Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, Former President of India

"In Geopolitics, only a strong Nation can advocate peace. And a powerful weapon like BRAHMOS can give strength to India to advocate peace in the world" - Dr. A.S. Pillai, Founder CEO & MD BrahMos Aerospace

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DRDO tests enhanced BrahMos supersonic cruise missile

India's defence research and development organisation (drdo) conducts a successful test-fire of the brahmos supersonic missile with enhanced indigenous content and improved performance from the integrated test range, chandipur off the coast of odisha on january 20, 2022..

Naval News Staff 20 Jan 2022

DRDO press release

BrahMos supersonic cruise missile , with increased indigenous content and improved performance, was successfully test-fired from Integrated Test Range, Chandipur off the coast of Odisha at 1030 hrs on January 20, 2022. The launch was conducted by Brahmos Aerospace in close coordination with the teams of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). In this textbook flight, the missile followed the predicted trajectory meeting all mission objectives.

The flight test is a major milestone in the way forward for the BrahMos program. The highly maneuverable missile cruised at supersonic speed for its maximum range and all mission objectives were met. The missile was equipped with advanced indigenous technologies and followed a modified optimal trajectory for enhanced efficiency and improved performance. The missile with the modified control system has been fine-tuned to achieve an enhanced capability. This flight test was monitored by all the sensors of the range instrumentation including telemetry, radar, and electro-optical tracking systems deployed across the eastern coast and the downrange ships.

Teams from DRDO and NPOM, Russia participated in the test. BrahMos Aerospace, the joint venture between DRDO and NPOM, Russia, has been continuously upgrading the powerful, highly versatile BrahMos to increase its effectiveness and lethality against sea and land targets. BrahMos is the potent missile weapon system already inducted into the Armed Forces.

BrahMos Missile was successfully test fired from ITR, Chandipur today. The mission validated many new indigenous systems successfully demonstrating enhanced capabilities. #MakeinIndia @DefenceMinIndia @BrahmosMissile @SpokespersonMoD #AtmaNirbharBharat pic.twitter.com/bHS7t24gSd — DRDO (@DRDO_India) January 20, 2022

The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile with increased indigenous content and improved performance was successfully test fired today from Chandipur. Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh congratulated the @BrahMosMissile , @DRDO_India teams and industry for the successful flight test. pic.twitter.com/uf8BeXnm4N — रक्षा मंत्री कार्यालय/ RMO India (@DefenceMinIndia) January 20, 2022

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Indian Navy test fires BrahMos supersonic missile onboard INS Visakhapatnam

The advanced sea-to-sea version can hit both land and sea targets.

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The Indian Navy has successfully test-fired an extended-range BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from its newly commissioned INS Visakhapatnam destroyer.

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Indian navy.

Indian Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) tweeted: “Advanced sea to sea variant of BrahMos Supersonic Cruise missile was tested from INS Visakhapatnam today. The missile hit the designated target ship precisely.”

The missile was tested in October and December 2020 from the navy’s stealth destroyer INS Chennai and Rajput-class destroyer INS Ranvijay, respectively.

An Indian Navy spokesperson said on Twitter that the launch ‘certifies the accuracy of the ship’s combat system and armament complex’ and also ‘validates a new capability the missile provides the navy and nation’.

In November last year, the Indian Navy took the delivery of the newest missile destroyer Visakhapatnam .

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The missile destroyer can be equipped with 16 BrahMos anti-ship supersonic cruise missiles.

BrahMos supersonic cruise missile has been designed and developed by the India-Russian joint venture (JV) BrahMos Aerospace, including Mashinostroyenia of Russia and DRDO.

All three divisions of the Indian Armed Forces, Indian Army, Indian Navy, and the Indian Air Force have deployed this missile.

Designed to hit both land and sea targets, the missile can be launched either in a vertical or a horizontal mode from a moving or stationary platform.

Last month, the missile’s air version was fired from Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Sukhoi 30 MKI supersonic fighter aircraft.

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India successfully test-fires brahmos from sukhoi-30 fighter aircraft.

The armed forces are now capable of launching the Brahmos, which has a strike range of around 290 km and is described as the fastest supersonic cruise missile.

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Indian BrahMos missiles delivered to the Philippines: The missile’s significance

Brahmos aerospace private limited (bapl), a joint venture company of the drdo, had signed a contract with the philippines on january 28, 2022 for supply of shore based anti-ship missile system. here's a look at how brahmos was developed..

India’s BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles were delivered to the Philippines on Friday (April 19), as part of a $375 million deal signed by the two countries in 2022, news agency ANI reported.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also referenced it in an election rally in Madhya Pradesh , saying, “Bharat is acquiring the image of an arms exporter. This year alone, Bharat has sold arms worth Rs 21,000 crore to other countries. Right now when I am delivering my speech (at Damoh), BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles are being sent to the Philippines.”

BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited (BAPL), a joint venture company of India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), had signed a contract with the Philippines on January 28, 2022 , for supply of Shore Based Anti-Ship Missile System.

What led to the development of BrahMos missiles, and what significance does it hold for India? We explain.

How BrahMos came about

In the early 1980s, the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme, conceived and led by Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, started developing a range of indigenous missiles including Prithvi, Agni, Trishul, Akash and Nag, with a wide spectrum of capabilities and ranges.

In the early 1990s, India’s strategic leadership felt the need for cruise missiles — guided missiles that traverse the majority of their flight path at almost constant speed and deliver large warheads over long distances with high precision. The need was felt primarily following the use of cruise missiles in the 1991 Gulf War.

An Inter-Governmental Agreement was signed with Russia in Moscow in 1998 by Dr Kalam, who headed the DRDO, and N V Mikhailov, Russia’s then Deputy Defence Minister.

This led to the formation of BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture between DRDO and Russian Space company NPO Mashinostroyenia (NPOM), the Indian side holding 50.5% and the Russians 49.5%. It was named after two rivers in India and Russia respectively – the Brahmaputra and the Moskva.

In 1999, work on development of missiles began in labs of DRDO and NPOM after BrahMos Aerospace received funds from the two governments. The first successful test in 2001 was conducted from a specially designed land-based launcher.

Strategic significance of BrahMos

BrahMos is a two-stage missile with a solid propellant booster engine. Its first stage brings the missile to supersonic speed (meaning faster than sound) and then gets separated. The liquid ramjet or the second stage then takes the missile closer to three times the speed of sound in cruise phase.

The missile has a very low radar signature, making it stealthy, and can achieve a variety of trajectories. The ‘fire and forget’ type missile can achieve a cruising altitude of 15 km and a terminal altitude as low as 10 m to hit the target.

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Cruise missiles such as BrahMos, called “standoff range weapons”, are fired from a range far enough to allow the attacker to evade defensive counter-fire. These are in the arsenal of most major militaries in the world.

The BrahMos has three times the speed, 2.5 times flight range and higher range compared to subsonic cruise missiles. With missiles made available for export, the platform is also seen as a key asset in defence diplomacy.

An extended range version of the BrahMos air-launched missile was tested from a frontline SU-30MKI aircraft in 2022. In the same year, an advanced sea-to-sea variant of BrahMos was tested from the INS Visakhapatnam.

The BrahMos was also involved in a recent controversy around that time. Pakistan claimed that an unarmed Indian missile had landed in its territory on March 9, 2022, and the Ministry of Defence said a technical malfunction had led to accidental firing. While the government, which ordered a high-level court of enquiry, did not officially identify the missile, experts felt its trajectory suggested the signature of BrahMos.

Present and future of the BrahMos

Senior DRDO scientists say what makes the missile system unparalleled is its extreme accuracy and versatility. Land-based BrahMos formations along the borders, BrahMos-equipped Sukhoi-30s at bases in Northern theatre and and Southern peninsula, and BrahMos-capable ships and submarines deployed in sea together form a triad.

With requirements evolving in multi-dimensional warfare, the BrahMos is undergoing a number of upgrades and work is on to develop versions with higher ranges, manoeuvrability and accuracy.

Versions currently being tested include ranges up to 350 km, as compared to the original’s 290 km. Versions with even higher ranges, up to 800 km, and with hypersonic speed are said to be on cards. Efforts are also on to reduce the size and signature of existing versions and augment its capabilities further.

Versions deployed in all three Armed forces are still being tested regularly, and so are versions currently under development.

LAND-BASED: The land-based BrahMos complex has four to six mobile autonomous launchers, each with three missiles on board that can be fired almost simultaneously. Batteries of the land-based systems have been deployed along India’s land borders in various theatres.

The upgraded land attack version, with capability of cruising at 2.8 Mach, can hit targets at a range up to 400 km with precision. Advanced versions of higher range and speed up to 5 Mach are said to be under development. The ground systems of BrahMos are described as ‘tidy’ as they have very few components.

SHIP-BASED: The Navy began inducting BrahMos on its frontline warships from 2005. These have the capability to hit sea-based targets beyond the radar horizon. The Naval version has been successful in sea-to-sea and sea-to-land modes. The BrahMos can be launched as a single unit or in a salvo of up to eight missiles, separated by 2.5-second intervals. These can target a group of frigates with modern missile defence systems.

AIR-LAUNCHED: On November 22, 2017, BrahMos was successfully flight-tested for the first time from a Sukhoi-30MKI against a sea-based target in the Bay of Bengal. It has since been successfully tested multiple times.

BrahMos-equipped Sukhoi-30s, which have a range of 1,500 km at a stretch without mid-air refuelling, are considered key strategic deterrence for adversaries both along land borders and in the strategically important Indian Ocean Region. The IAF is said to be integrating BrahMos with 40 Sukhoi-30 fighter jets across the various bases.

SUBMARINE-LAUNCHED: This version can be launched from around 50 m below the water surface. The canister-stored missile is launched vertically from the pressure hull of the submarine, and uses different settings for underwater and out-of-the-water flights. This version was successfully tested first in March 2013 from a submerged platform off the coast of Visakhapatnam.

This is an updated version of an explainer first published in 2022.

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BrahMos, Supersonic Cruise Missile, Successfully Flight Tested From Pokhran

The brahmos was inducted into the navy and army in 2006. it can fly at 2.8 times the speed of sound, is the fastest cruise missile of its class..

The Brahmos missile travels at 2.8 times the speed of sound.

The Brahmos missile travels at 2.8 times the speed of sound

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BrahMos: The Mach 3 Supersonic Missile Russia and India Built Together

Summary and Key Points: The BrahMos missile, a joint Indian-Russian development, is a two-stage supersonic cruise missile with a range of 290 kilometers.

-It features a solid propellant booster for initial acceleration and a liquid ramjet for sustained Mach 3 speeds.

-The missile's stealth, fire-and-forget capabilities, and versatility for land, sea, submarine, and air deployment make it a significant asset for India.

-Its high velocity, short flight time, and pinpoint accuracy enhance its effectiveness. 

-India is exporting the BrahMos to allies like the Philippines to counter regional threats, particularly from China.

BrahMos Missile: India's Supersonic Defense Against Regional Threats

The BrahMos is an Indian two-stage supersonic missile developed in collaboration with Russia . The missile’s first stage is a solid propellant booster engine, which can accelerate the missile to supersonic speeds before being separated. The second stage is a liquid ramjet that can push the missile to its cruising speed of Mach 3. The BrahMos is also equipped with stealth features and guidance software.

The downside of the BrahMos is the missile’s range of just 290 kilometers, although it can reach that range quickly at supersonic speeds. The low flight time allows for “lower dispersion of targets, quicker engagement time and non-interception by any known weapon system in the world,” according to the BrahMos website .

Fire and Forget Missile

The BrahMos is a “fire and forget” munition – once the missile is fired, it can self-guide to the target without the help of a human operator. To reach intended targets, the BrahMos can adopt different flight paths. The missile can operate at altitudes as high as 15 kilometers, or as low as 10 meters.

Once the BrahMos arrives on target, the missile delivers a conventional warhead that weighs between 200 and 300 kilograms. The kinetic energy of the missile is quite high, thanks to the missile’s supersonic speeds, enhancing the effects of the warhead.

According to the company website, BrahMos, relative to subsonic cruise missiles, has: “3 times more velocity…2.5 to 3 times more flight range…3 to 4 times more seeker range…9 times more kinetic energy.”

The BrahMos can be configured for firing from land, sea, submarine, and air platforms. Deployed from a Transport Launch Canister, the BrahMos has several special features , including a universal design for multiple different platforms, the aforementioned fire and forget ability, high supersonic flight speed, low radar signature, shorter flight times, and “pin point accuracy with high lethal power aided by large kinetic energy on impact.”

A hostile environment

India’s interest in a supersonic cruise missile presumably relates to the subcontinent’s regional challenges. India has a long-standing feud with Pakistan over the disputed Kashmir territory. Perhaps more pressing is the country’s rivalry with China. Beijing is the world’s most ascendant power, a prospective hegemon on the Asian continent that is moving aggressively to expand its military abilities. 

India has its own interests in countering China – the rivalry is ancient and bitter. Further, India will want to maintain cordial relations with the United States, which has a vested interest in deputizing India to counter China. Expect some international pressure for India to assert itself. 

To counter China, India needs to develop weapons capable of giving it pause. The BrahMos is such a weapon. 

India also plans to export the BrahMos. Last month, India announced the BrahMos will be exported to the Philippines, another country affected by an assertive China.

About the Author: Harrison Kass 

Harrison Kass is a defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.

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Navy's HALO Hypersonic Anti-Ship Missile Planned For Ships, Submarines, As Well As Jets

An air-launched air-breathing hypersonic anti-ship cruise missile that is now in development for the U.S. Navy could also arm its ships and submarines. This would give Navy surface and subsurface fleets an entirely new category of naval strike capability. The service has already described its future hypersonic anti-ship missile as essential for tackling advanced naval threats in high-end conflicts, such as one in the Pacific against China .

Details about the Navy's plans for what is formally called the Hypersonic Air-Launched Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare (HALO) program were included in documents posted online as part of a recent contracting announcement . The announcement was not about HALO, specifically, but had to do with the award of a sole-source contract to Lockheed Martin to support the integration of the AGM-158C Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) onto the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. HALO is also known as the Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare (OASuW) Increment 2. LRASM, which is a Lockheed Martin product and is in service now, is the weapon the Navy chose for the larger OASuW program's Increment 1.

The Navy awarded contracts to Raytheon and Lockheed Martin in March 2023 to develop competing missiles for HALO. Details about the designs are scant, but they are widely believed to be powered by advanced ramjet or scramjet engines .

"The acquisition strategy for Increment 2 HALO system is currently structured as a Middle Tier Acquisition rapid prototyping program with a flight demonstration planned in FY27," according to a justification and approval document related to the LRASM integration contract. "The Increment 2 HALO MTA is planned as a competition for multiple launch platform capabilities (air, surface, and subsurface)."

U.S. government agencies have to formally justify their reasons for awarding contracts without a typical competitive bidding process and submit them for approval. The document in question is dated 2022 and The War Zone has reached out to the Navy for more information about the current state of its HALO plans.

"OASuW Inc 2/HALO will be a carrier-suitable, higher-speed, longer-range, air-launched weapon system providing superior Anti Surface Warfare capabilities," is how the Navy describes the program in its 2025 Fiscal Year budget request, which was released in March. "OASuW Inc 2/HALO will address advanced threats from engagement distances that allow the Navy to operate in, and control, contested battle space in littoral waters and Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) environments."

Giving Navy ships and submarines, as well as aircraft, this kind of anti-ship capability would make good sense.

As it stands now, the Navy's surface fleets continue to rely heavily on Harpoon anti-ship missiles , the newest versions of which have maximum ranges of around 75 miles, for engaging enemy vessels. Much longer-range Tomahawk cruise missiles, able to reach targets out to around 1,000 miles, have a demonstrated anti-ship capability and the service is acquiring Maritime Strike Tomahawk (MST) variants optimized for this role. The Navy has also been working to add stealthy Naval Strike Missiles (NSM), which can strike targets around 100 miles away, to the arsenals of its two subclasses Littoral Combat Ships (LCS). NSM is also set to be part of the armament package on the service's future Constellation class frigates . All of these missiles are subsonic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOfNNyvplWk\u0026t=4s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSdPBxILCTc

There is the multi-purpose SM-6, which can also be used in a quasi-ballistic mode against ships and targets ashore, as well. The missile, which has an estimated maximum range of some 230 miles, can also be used to engage various tiers of aerial threats, including ballistic and hypersonic missiles in the terminal stages of their flights.

Harpoon is the primary anti-ship missile option available to the Navy's submarine community . At least some Navy submarine classes are expected to be able to employ MST versions of the Tomahawk in the future, as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9Af67QU4OA

The Navy does have plans to arm its Zumwalt class stealth destroyers and future Block V Virginia class submarines with the Intermediate Range Conventional Prompt Strike (IRCPS) hypersonic missile. This weapon is different from HALO in that it is designed around an unpowered boost-glide vehicle, a category of hypersonic weapon you can read more about here . IRCPS is also expected to be a low-density weapon reserved primarily for striking very high-value and well-protected strategic-level targets like major air defense and other command and control nodes.

HALO would therefore give Navy ships and submarines a new way to strike at an opponent's ships rapidly, even at extended ranges. The weapon's hypersonic speed would also present complications for shipboard defenses and just generally reduce the time enemy forces have to react.

Using a common core air-breathing hypersonic anti-ship cruise missile design for air, surface, and subsurface launch applications presents benefits when it comes to acquisition and sustainment, as well. Economies of scale could help reduce the unit costs of the missiles and common supply chains could help keep support costs low.

A ship-launched version of HALO could potentially translate to a ground-launched configuration that might be of interest elsewhere in the U.S. military. The U.S. Marine Corps is already fielding ground-based launchers for NSM and Tomahawk , while the Army and Navy have their own land-based launch systems capable of firing SM-6s and Tomahawks.

In the air-launched realm, the Air Force is also pursuing an air-breathing hypersonic cruise missile under its Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM) program . HACM is primarily intended to "hold fixed, high value, time-sensitive targets at risk," according to Air Force budget documents .

Leveraging the winning HALO design for use beyond the air-launched mode would also help explain the curious absence of any other known Navy plans to field a hypersonic anti-ship cruise missile on its ships and submarines. Other countries, including America's chief competitors China and Russia , are developing and fielding their own hypersonic cruise missiles, including for maritime strike applications .

The Navy has explored multiple faster-flying anti-ship cruise missile concepts, including as part of a parallel effort to the original LRASM program, in the past. Between the 2000s and early 2010s, the service had also been working on a very long-range cruise missile with high-supersonic speed called Revolutionary Approach To Time-critical Long Range Strike (RATTLRS) before it disappeared from the public eye with little explanation. Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works was the lead contractor RATTLRS. None of these past projects are known to have evolved into operational weapons.

The Navy has also previously tested a surface-launched version of the subsonic (and stealthy) LRASM, but has not adopted it. An extended-range version of the air-launched LRASM, which features a number of other upgrades over earlier versions, is now in development, as you can read more about here .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jG5Za-BVqFE\u0026t=2s

Whether or not the Navy ultimately fields surface or subsurface-launched versions of HALO, and when, does remain to be seen.

The service's goal currently is to begin fielding at least air-launched HALO missiles no later than Fiscal Year 2029.

Contact the author: [email protected]

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India delivers the fourth BrahMos missile battery to Philippines

The fourth and last consignment of brahmos missiles and launchers has reached manila this afternoon..

New Delhi: Giving a huge fillip to defence exports, India has sent the fourth ‘battery’ of land version of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines today amidst growing tensions due to Chinese assertions in the South China Sea.

The fourth consignment on board C-17 Globemaster of the Indian Air Force landed in Manila this afternoon.

It is understood that three ‘batteries’ of BrahMos missiles have already been handed over with the fourth reaching Manila today as part of the USD 375 million deal signed by the two allies in 2022. Each battery comprises four launchers with three 290 km range missiles with each launcher on a mobile platform for survivability of the conventional deterrent. Given the supersonic speed of the weapon, the missile is very difficult to intercept by land or ship-based Ballistic Missile Defence (BMDs) systems.

The BrahMos Philippines deal has ensured that India’s defence exports have already touched ₹ 21083 crores in 2023-2024 with a massive 32.5 per cent year-on-year growth as compared to the past fiscal. As BrahMos has a proven track record, India is expected to bag more orders for the supersonic missiles in the near future.

While India has crossed the rubicon in missile exports, the Narendra Modi government is also looking towards setting up a joint venture between Mazagon Dockyards Limited and French Naval Group to manufacture Scorpene-class diesel-electric submarines in Mumbai and supply to third countries like Indonesia and Malaysia. Currently, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan is on a visit to France to interact with the Naval Group and the Emmanuel Macron government to understand how Indian and French supply chains can join hands to manufacture high-tech conventional and non-conventional sub-surface platforms in India under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat rubric. It is understood that the Indian CDS will visit the French submarine base at Brest and possibly Toulouse in a bid to deepen the bilateral defence cooperation. The French Naval Group is already in talks with MDL for the construction of three additional Kalveri (modified Scorpene) class submarines for India.

While P-5 powers use nuclear-powered conventionally armed attack submarines (SSN) for deterrence and access denial, India is still evaluating its options. The options include manufacturing SSNs to long-term maritime security or looking towards the lithium battery, air-independent propulsion or conventional diesel-electric submarines apart from underwater armed drones. These proposals are expected to get solidified during Modi 3.0.

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Questions surround Russia’s use of hypersonic missiles in its latest attack.

Moscow on Thursday fired the largest number of the air-launched weapons used in a single wave since the war began a year ago.

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By John Ismay ,  Matthew Mpoke Bigg and Andrew E. Kramer

• March 9, 2023

Russia’s biggest aerial attack in weeks hit targets across Ukraine on Thursday, using a complex barrage of weapons. Ukraine’s Air Force said that among them were six of Russia’s air-launched hypersonic missiles, known as Kinzhals, or Daggers — the most used in a single wave since the war began a year ago.

Here are the major questions raised by the use of the new missiles.

First, what are hypersonic missiles?

Hypersonic missiles are long-range, highly maneuverable munitions capable of reaching speeds of at least Mach 5 — five times the speed of sound, or more than a mile a second. That speed renders traditional air defense systems essentially useless, because by the time they are detected by ground-based radars, they are already nearly at their target.

China and the United States are in a race to develop and deploy hypersonic missiles. Other countries are also working on the technology, including Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, India, Iran, Israel, Japan, North Korea and South Korea.

How does the Kinzhal work?

The typical hypersonic vehicle carries its warhead to the lower boundary of space atop a traditional long-range missile. After separation, it uses gravity to gain tremendous speed on the descent back to earth. The vehicle may be an unpowered gliding craft, or it may be a cruise missile that uses gravitational acceleration to ignite a special “scramjet” engine that carries it hundreds of miles farther.

The Kinzhal is a little different. It is a modified version of the Russian Army’s Iskander short-range ballistic missile, which is designed to be fired from truck-mounted launchers on the ground. Launching the missile from a warplane at high altitude, instead of from the ground, leaves it with more fuel to use to reach higher speeds.

Aside from its ability to reach hypersonic speeds after its air launch, the Kinzhal is believed to behave like a ground-launched Iskander, meaning it is able to maneuver to make interception difficult. Some Iskanders also can release decoys before impact that are designed to further confuse air-defense radars .

Conventionally armed Iskanders are believed to carry about 1,500 pounds of explosives.

What else is known about the Kinzhal?

Russia originally developed the Kinzhal to breach American anti-missile defense systems and claims it reaches speeds of Mach 10 and greater. The Pentagon has said it is launched by MiG-31 warplanes.

Moscow first said it had deployed the Kinzhal in Ukraine nearly a year ago in an attack on an underground weapons dump , and has periodically claimed its use since.

There is another hypersonic missile Russia claims to have in its arsenal: the Zircon, a cruise missile that can be launched from ships. But Russia did not report test-firing the Zircon during exercises announced by President Vladimir V. Putin in January , and it is not known to have ever been used in combat.

Why are Kinzhals so worrisome for Ukraine?

Ukraine has no weapons capable of shooting down the Kinzhals, according to Yuriy Ihnat, a spokesman for Ukraine’s Air Force.

And their use on Thursday significantly increased the proportion of Russia’s missiles reaching targets. Of the 81 missiles Russia fired overnight and through the morning, Ukraine said that 47 hit their targets, a higher ratio than usual. Ukraine noted that Russia had also fired more ballistic missiles and fewer cruise missiles than usual, a possible factor in the increase in successful strikes.

What are the limitations of the Kinzhal?

Targeting coordinates are loaded into the missile’s operating system before launch, and because of the tremendous speed it achieves in flight, any small deflection — for instance, a control surface on a wing moving slightly too much or too little — can result in a major deviation from the target. That may explain why one Kinzhal appears to have struck a car in Kyiv on Thursday, rather than a target with more military significance.

And like any hypersonic missile, the Kinzhal’s flight path reaches into the uppermost regions of Earth’s atmosphere before arcing back toward the earth for finer maneuvers. It can be detected by space-based sensors, though U.S. defense officials say those systems are insufficient against hypersonics.

Why would Russia use so much of its hypersonic arsenal in one wave?

Ukraine’s military intelligence agency has estimated Russia had, before the volley fired Thursday, no more than 50 Kinzhals, Mr. Ihnat said. Why Russia decided to fire six of them — potentially more than a tenth of its total arsenal — is unclear.

“For one reason or another, they needed a result” this time, Mr. Ihnat said.

But Russia may be able to replenish the Kinzhals relatively easily. Since the Kinzhal is simply a modified version of an existing missile, it could be easier to produce than, say, creating more Zircons, which have to be built from scratch.

Will the use of Kinzhals change the war?

Not necessarily, even if Russia can produce more Kinzhals relatively rapidly. Even though more of Russia’s missiles than usual got through on Thursday, an air war alone will not be decisive.

By comparison, Russia causes far more destruction through the thousands of artillery shells it fires in Ukraine.

And the ground war essentially remains in a grinding stalemate. Many analysts say that Russia’s long-anticipated spring offensive is already underway, but that it is having little impact because its troops and arsenals are so depleted.

John Ismay is a Pentagon correspondent in the Washington bureau and a former Navy explosive ordnance disposal officer. More about John Ismay

Matthew Mpoke Bigg is a correspondent covering international news. He previously worked as a reporter, editor and bureau chief for Reuters and did postings in Nairobi, Abidjan, Atlanta, Jakarta and Accra. More about Matthew Mpoke Bigg

Andrew E. Kramer is the Times bureau chief in Kyiv. He was part of a team that won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize in International Reporting for a series on Russia’s covert projection of power. More about Andrew E. Kramer