Extended Range (ER) BrahMos Cruise Missile

In News

• Recently, the Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully fired the Extended Range (ER) version of BrahMos air-launched supersonic cruise missile.

BrahMos

• About:
  • The missile is capable of being launched from land, sea, sub-sea and air against surface and sea-based targets.
  • The ER 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. 
• Origin of Name: 
  • The missile derives its name from Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers. 
• Developed By:
  • BrahMos is a joint venture between the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya.
• Two-stage Missile with a Solid Propellant Booster Engine:
  • First stage brings the missile to supersonic speed 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. 
• Range:
  • 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. 

 Source: TH