The Army on Wednesday successfully test-fired the advanced version of Brahmos supersonic cruise missile, known as “steep dive and top attack”, in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The missile hit a land-based target with an accuracy of less than one metre. The Navy had tested the land version of the Brahmos two weeks back. The Brahmos is capable of hitting a target at more than 290kms.
South Western Command’s Strike One Corps successfully carried out the firing of the advanced Brahmos Block III land attack cruise missile system in the Andamans on two consecutive days including Tuesday and Wednesday, officials said here. The successive launches reinforced the weapon’s precision strike capability.
The latest tests were carried out in full operational land-to-land configurations from Mobile Autonomous launchers (MAl) at its full-range. Meeting all flight parameters in a copybook manner while conducting high level and complex manoeuvers, the multi-role missile successfully hit the land-based target with desired precision, in both the trials demonstrating its accuracy of less than one metre, they said.
In plain terms, its means that the missile can take out a target in a built up area without minimum collateral damage, officials said adding the range of the missile can be increased from 290 km after India joined the Missile Technology Control Regime(MTCR) group. It enables India to have supersonic missiles of more than 290 km and the range can now go beyond 450 km.
The Navy recently tested the land attack version of the missile and it hit a dummy on the land after launched from a ship in the Bay of Bengal. So far, the Navy had anti-ship Brahmos missiles and the latest capability the increased the capabilities of the Navy.
Meanwhile, the Army test was the fifth consecutive time when the Block-III version of Brahmos, jointly manufactured by India and Rusia, was successfully launched and hit the land-based target in “top-attack” mode, an incredible feat not achieved by any other weapon system of its genre, officials said.
At present, the Army has four regiments of Brahmos missiles since induction into service in 2007.
India now has land, sea and sub-sea versions of Brahmos while tests are on to have the air version of the missile. It will be fitted on to the frontline fighter jet SU-30.