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An Indian Air Force Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter
jet © Sanjay Kanojia / AFP
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Published time: 22 Nov, 2017 20:11
India has for the first time fired a BrahMos missile from
a Sukhoi Su-30 plane, with the country’s Defense Ministry claiming the
air-launch a success. The missile’s developer said it “can be a game changer
for any air force in the world.”
“The successful maiden test firing of [a] BrahMos air
launched cruise missile (ALCM) from [a] Su-30MKI will significantly bolster the
IAF’s air combat operations capability from stand-off ranges,” the Indian
Defense Ministry said in a statement. A modified Su-30 fighter jet took off
from Kalaikunda Airbase in West Bengal state and hit a decommissioned boat in
the Bay of Bengal Wednesday.
Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman congratulated the
military and the missile developers at BrahMos Aerospace, calling it “an
outstanding achievement.” Missile test-firings from planes are considered a
risky affair, with dozens of aircraft destroyed around the globe during such
trials.
The test signals that the BrahMos missile is now ready
for induction into the Indian Air Force, a high-ranked government official told
the Hindustan Times. India plans to equip at least two Su-30
squadrons – consisting of 18 planes – with the cruise missiles, according to
the paper.
The BrahMos missile is a joint Indian-Russian project,
and named after the Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers in the two countries. The
supersonic cruise missile is the fastest in the world in its class currently in
operation, being able to reach a speed of Mach 3.0, three times the speed of
sound. It has a range of 290 kilometers and weighs 2.5 tons, and is the
heaviest piece of ammunition ever carried by a Su-30.
A missile like BrahMos “can be a game changer for
any air force in the world,” Sudhir Mishra, BrahMos Aerospace CEO
said. India already has the BrahMos missile land and naval version in service,
with the successful aerial launch completing India’s tactical cruise missile
triad, the Defense Ministry said.
Earlier, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin
said that in the future, the Su-30MKI could carry not a single BrahMos missile,
but three smaller missiles of the same class. India is also planning to deploy
an upgraded BrahMos missile, with an extended range of 450 kilometers.
Original post: rt.com
BrahMos Missile Successfully Test
Published on Nov 22, 2017
Su-30MKI: Details
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