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- An extended range sea-to-sea variant of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was successfully test-fired by India from the Indian Navy’s newly commissioned INS Visakhapatnam.
About the missile
- BrahMos: deployed by the Navy on its warships first in 2005, has the capability to hit sea-based targets beyond radar horizon.
- It is capable of carrying a warhead of 300 kilograms (both conventional as well as nuclear).
- Specifications: This version of the missile has been designed to launch either in a vertical or a horizontal mode from moving/stationary assets to target both land and sea targets.
- The missiles, fired at a speed of 2.8 Mach or nearly three times the speed of sound, significantly increase the capability of the ships in engaging long-range targets.
- India-Russia synergy: BrahMos missiles are designed and developed by BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture company set up by Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and Mashinostroyenia of Russia.
- Originally introduced in 2001, variations of these supersonic missiles can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft, and land platforms.
- The range of the missile: was originally capped at 290 km as per obligations of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR).
- Following India’s entry into the club in 2016, officials said the range would be extended to 450 km and to 600km at a later stage.
- INS Visakhapatnam: with a displacement of 7,400 Tonnes, is the first of four ingeniously designed and built Project-15B class stealth guided missile destroyers and was commissioned in 2021.
Source: IE
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