The realisation of BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile is a shining example of empowering the core strengths of R&D organisations and India’s industrial capabilities

India, engulfed with volatile and dynamic neighbourhood spread along its vast international borders, is emerging as a leading regional and world power, in terms of economic strength and military prowess. Armed with formidable, multi-dimensional and networked military force at the forefront, protecting country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, India has gained immense expertise in designing and developing state-of-the-art defence systems in order to safeguard its national interests. This accomplishment has made it enter into an elite club of powerful nations at the global stage having the capability to build their own military platform and systems.

In today’s changing security paradigm, BrahMos, the fastest operational cruise missile, is a perfect emblem of India’s growing military might which has grown from strength to strength over the years and added new capabilities to meet divergent warfare scenarios. Its induction has significantly increased the role of Indian Armed Forces as the substantial military power in the global arena.

The realisation of BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile is a shining example of empowering the core strengths of R&D organisations and India’s industrial capabilities. BrahMos Aerospace was formed as a Joint Venture (JV) between Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) of India and Joint Stock Company “Military Industrial Consortium” “NPO Mashinostroyenia” (NPOM). The JV was established in India through an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) signed on 12th February 1998, between The Republic of India and The Russian Federation.

The BrahMos is the world’s first and only supersonic cruise missile. It is a precision strike weapon for Army, Navy as well as Air Force and can be fitted in Ships, Mobile Launchers, Submarines and Aircraft against land and sea targets. Compared to existing state-of-the-art subsonic cruise missiles, BRAHMOS has three times more velocity, 2.5 to 3 times more flight range, 3 to 4 times higher target detection range and more than nine times of kinetic energy.

BrahMos, with a conventional warhead weighing 200 to 300 kg, is a two-stage missile with solid propellant booster as its first stage and liquid ramjet for the second stage of the missile. This unique configuration enables the system to fly at speed of Mach 3 or more during its cruise phase. The missile has flight range of up to 290-kms with supersonic speed all through the flight, leading to shorter flight time, consequently ensuring lower dispersion of targets, quicker engagement and low reaction time for target and no effect of by any known counter measure system. It operates on ‘Fire and Forget Principle’, adopting varieties of trajectories. Stealth technology and Guidance System with advanced embedded software provide unique special features to the system. The missile is capable of preforming multiple roles/missions with pin-point accuracy by day or night and in all weather conditions.

The weapon has become the mainstay of the Indian Army’s artillery firepower with several regiments raised, since its first induction in 2007. Similarly, for many of Indian Navy’s frontline surface ships, BrahMos, since 2005, has been deployed as a prime strike weapon in both land-attack and anti-ship configurations. This system has been proved for engaging multiple/single targets with its ‘salvo’ launch capability, where these cruise missile(s) can be directed to either one target or towards multiple targets. BrahMos has also proved its prowess from an underwater platform. The missile is capable of being launched from submarine from operational depths of underwater platforms against any land or ship target. The Indian Air Force’s (IAF) frontline fighter aircraft Sukhoi Su-30MKI, have been modified to Integrate air launched version of this unique missile system. The Air launched BrahMos weighs 2.5 tonne and designed to be integrated with aircraft using indigenously designed and produced advance airborne launcher system. This system has successfully demonstrated BRAHMOS missile’s firing capability number of times. The IAF’s ‘Tigersharks’ Squadron comprising of fourth-generation Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter aircraft equipped with the BrahMos missile was raised in the Southern India. The successful induction of BrahMos in all the three services has made India the first and only country in the world to complete the “supersonic cruise missile triad”.

The deployment of BrahMos cruise missile system in the services has given the Indian Armed Forces the much needed capability and punch to undertake deep surgical strikes in both land and sea, thus enabling them to overcome dynamic and diversified threats across country’s international borders.

Since the historic maiden launch on 12th June 2001, BrahMos has established its supersonic strength worldwide. The JV has successfully created an ecosystem of defence industries consisting of various small, medium and large enterprises across the country producing various critical systems and subsystem for BrahMos. The unique BrahMos Industry consortium has brought together a number of competent defence firms and laboratories from both the partnering countries in developing and producing different sub-systems and system missile which has rendered a unique strength to the Indian Armed Forces.

With the theme ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan’ leading the nation towards indigenisation of products, BrahMos programme, as the state-of-the-art high technology, has successfully indigenised all major sub-systems metallic and composite components. Almost entire range of GSE & launcher systems for the weapon Complex are also being manufactured domestically. BRAHMOS has conducted numerous successful launches which will boost India’s defence indigenisation efforts and boost Govt. of India’s ambitious ‘Make in India’ initiative.

BrahMos Aerospace possesses a full-fledged design centre, a unique dedicated supply chain for different sub-systems, a world-class integration, and check-out facilities, product support centres with stringent quality control, which involves over 200 small and medium Indian public and private defence sector enterprises and institutions.

BRAHMOS has emerged as a potential weapon of choice with several countries across continents evincing strong desire in the versatile weapon. It has penetrated the international market with the most potent weapon system for precision strike and a Force Multiplier in contemporary Network Centric Warfare (NCW) environment. In January 2022 BrahMos Aerospace signed a landmark multi-million dollars’ export contract with the Philippines for the delivery of BRAHMOS Shore-Based Anti-Ship Missile system to the Armed Forces of the Philippines. As a flagbearer of ‘Make In India’ BrahMos Aerospace is now going to ‘Make for the World’.

As India is celebrating ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, commemorating 75 years of independence, the successful journey of India’s state-of-the-art and cutting-edge military technology BRAHMOS missile has carved a niche for itself in the Indian defence industry and as a role-model in the global stage. BrahMos has continued to and will continue to evolve as India’s most prestigious and successful defence & aerospace enterprise in the years to come.