Brahmos supersonic cruise missile successfully test fired

New Delhi, Mar 22 (ANI): India on Sunday successfully test fired Brahmos supersonic cruise missile from a vertical launcher fitted in a moving warship INS Ranvir off the Orissa coast.

The missile performed supersonic maneuvering following the exact flight path and homed on to the decommissioned target ship INS Meen.

Dr. A S Pillai, CEO and MD of BrahMos Aerospace confirmed the news and said, "The launch met all mission requirements and was 100 percent successful."

This would mean that the missile, which has a range of 290-km and flies at a speed of 2.8 Mach, can take on a target lying anywhere in the 360-degree range of the ship.

Senior Naval officials, who witnessed Sunday's launch, termed it a "landmark event."

President Pratibha Patil and Defence Minister A K Antony congratulated the missile scientists and naval officers for the successful launch of the supersonic cruise missile.

DRDO along with Russia's NPO Mashinostroyenia is jointly designing and developing the BRAHMOS missiles, which are capable of carrying conventional warheads up to 200 -300 kg and a range of 290-km, to be with the international regulations.

The state of the art Universal Vertical Launcher from which the missile was test fired has been designed and developed by BrahMos Aerospace and patented.

The launcher designed is to be fitted under the warship's deck, thereby protecting it from atmospheric conditions and imparting stealth to the weapon system. It also allows the missile to be turned to cover 360 degree.

With the latest launch, Brahmos has once again proved its mettle to be launched from both Vertical and Inclined configurations from Naval platforms.

The Army has plans to induct three regiments of Brahmos in near future to use the missile as a "precision first strike weapon."