India successfully test-fires land-attack version of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile

 India on Tuesday "successfully" test fired surface-to-surface supersonic cruise missile BrahMos as part of a series of planned trials of weapon, kwn for its precision strike capabilities, official sources said.

range of new land-attack version of missile has been extended to 400 km from original 290 km but its speed has been maintained at 2.8 Mach or almost three times speed of sound, y said.

land-attack version of missile was test-fired in Andaman and Nicobar at around 10 am and it was a successful trial", an official source said.According to official sources, in next few days, Indian Air Force and Indian Navy are scheduled to carry out separate test-firing of new version of air-launched and naval versions of supersonic cruise missile respectively.

BrahMos Aero, an India-Russian joint venture, produces lethal weapon that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft, or from land platforms.India has alrey deployed a sizeable number of original BrahMos missiles and or key assets in several strategic locations along Line of Actual Control with China in Lakh and Arunachal Presh.

In last two-and-half months, India has test fired a number of missiles including an anti-riation missile named Rudram-1 which is planned to be inducted into service by 2022.

On October 18, a naval version of BrahMos missile was successfully test fired from an indigeusly-built stealth destroyer of Indian Navy in Arabian sea.

Indian Air Force on October 30 test-fired air launched version of weapon from a Sukhoi fighter aircraft in Bay of Bengal.

BrahMos missile provides IAF a much-desired capability to strike from large stand-off ranges on any target at sea or on land with pinpoint accuracy by day or night and in all wear conditions.

IAF is also integrating Brahmos supersonic cruise missile on over 40 Sukhoi fighter jets which is aimed at bolstering overall combat capability of force. 

(IM CREDITS:PTI)