India has accelerated development of enhanced BrahMos supersonic cruise missile variants following the successful combat deployment during Operation Sindoor in May 2025. These upgrades include extended ranges of 450 km, 600 km, and 800 km, enabling strikes on distant targets such as Islamabad from Delhi, approximately 700 km away.

The missile, renowned for its Mach 3 speed and fire-and-forget guidance, proved devastating against six Pakistani airbases in that operation.

Originally limited to 290-300 km due to Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) restrictions, BrahMos gained extended capabilities after India's 2016 membership. BrahMos Aerospace, the Indo-Russian joint venture, first tested a 450 km BrahMos-ER variant in 2017 by increasing fuel capacity and modifying software.

Recent breakthroughs include a successful 800 km test of the BrahMos-LR in 2025, achieved through a longer airframe for larger ramjet fuel tanks while maintaining compatibility with existing platforms.

A lighter air-launched version, weighing 2.5 tonnes compared to the standard 3 tonnes for land and sea variants, has advanced for integration with the Su-30MKI fighter. This BrahMos-A, approved by the project design board, reduces payload strain on the aircraft's underbelly mount, with ground trials for longer-range models now in preparation. Full development of these variants targets completion within three years, with initial tests possibly by late 2027.

Operation Sindoor marked BrahMos's combat debut, launched on 7 May 2025 in retaliation for a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir. Indian forces struck nine terrorist camps linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, using BrahMos alongside SCALP missiles and loitering munitions from Rafale jets. Pakistan acknowledged the strikes, leading to a ceasefire after mutual drone exchanges, underscoring BrahMos's elusiveness against radars due to its terrain-hugging, supersonic flight.

In parallel, India bolstered its nuclear triad with a successful K-4 submarine-launched ballistic missile test on 23 December 2025 from INS Arighaat in the Bay of Bengal off Visakhapatnam. The solid-fuelled K-4, named after Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, achieves 3,500 km range and carries a two-ton nuclear warhead, enhancing sea-based deterrence.

INS Arighaat, commissioned in August 2024 as India's third nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, now operationalises this capability under the Strategic Forces Command.

These advancements reflect India's push for multi-domain precision strike and credible nuclear posture amid regional tensions. BrahMos-NG, a next-generation lightweight variant, nears flight trials in 2026, with production by 2027-28, further diversifying options. Ground trials for extended-range BrahMos proceed apace, promising induction by 2027 and reshaping strategic dynamics in South Asia.
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Agencies