India in elite club after ship-to-land BrahMos launch

New Delhi: The India Navy’s combat capability got a huge boost on Friday when a BrahMos long-range missile took off from the stealth-capable INS Teg at supersonic speed from somewhere in the Bay of Bengal and successfully hit a target erected on an island.

“It was a successful test that achieved the desired results. Now we are in an elite club alongside advanced nations with the capability to hit deep land-based targets from the ships in deep sea,” said Navy spokesperson Capt. D.K. Sharma.

This BrahMos version is a cruise missile that flies near the ground using terrain-following navigation systems fortified with an already-stored map of obstacles and ground elevation data.

The US used such missiles to devastating effect in Afghanistan and West Asia from its warships in the Persian Gulf. Among other things, this BrahMos variant will give additional teeth in the fight against terror with the ability to target land-based terror camps.

The Indian Navy is upgrading its weapons systems and platforms as part of a major modernisation programme.

In March, the Navy had successfully test-fired an anti-ship missile for the first time from a Kalvari class submarine, enhancing its “sub-surface” warfare prowess. These missiles will provide the vessels the ability to take out surface threats at extended ranges.

The BrahMos missile system is a joint collaborative effort between Indian and Russia. 

The Indian Navy has already deployed the anti-ship variant of the BrahMos. The majority of the Indian Navy’s frontline ships are capable of firing the land attack supersonic missile.

India’s plans to raise three squadrons of Sukhoi-30 fighters equipped with BrahMos missiles are also in the final stages. The Su30-BrahMos combination has already generated a lot of commercial interest, raising expectations that its export could turn out to be a veritable profit-making business for India and Russia.

Three BrahMos regiments have been operational in the Indian Army since 2007.