The missile achieved the desired mission objectives in the Bay of Bengal region

The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Thursday successfully fired the Extended Range (ER) version of BrahMos air-launched supersonic cruise missile against a ship target from a Su-30MKI fighter aircraft.

“The missile achieved the desired mission objectives in the Bay of Bengal region. With this, IAF has achieved a significant capability boost to carry out precision strikes from Su-30MKI aircraft against land/sea targets over very long ranges,” the IAF said in a statement.

The extended range capability of the missile coupled with the high performance of the Su-30MKI aircraft gives the IAF a strategic reach and allows it to dominate the future battle fields, the IAF added.

The current air-launched missile weighs 2.65 tonnes, which will come down to 1.33 tonnes with the BrahMos-NG (Next Generation) that is under development. With this, a Su-30MKI will be able to carry up to four BrahMos-NG missiles, while the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) will be able to carry two missiles.

BrahMos is a joint venture between the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya and the missile derives its name from Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers. The missile is capable of being launched from land, sea, sub-sea and air against surface and sea-based targets and has been long inducted by the Indian armed forces.

The range of the missile was originally capped at 290 kms as per obligations of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR). Following India’s entry into the club in June 2016, DRDO officials had stated that the range would be extended to 450 km and to 600 km at a later stage. The ER version has been tested several times both by the Navy and IAF.