India has successfully tested the extended range BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from a Sukhoi-30MKI fighter against a target ship in the Bay of Bengal, in a demonstration of deadly precision-strike capability from long standoff distances, Report informs referring to The Times of India.
This is the second time the 450-km BrahMos missile, which flies almost three times the speed of sound at Mach 2.8, has been tested from the air after upgrade from the original 290-km range. With a combat radius of almost 1,500-km without mid-air refueling, the Sukhoi combines with the 450-km range BrahMos to constitute a deadly weapons package.
“With this, IAF has achieved a significant capability boost to carry out precision strikes from Sukhoi aircraft against land and sea targets over very long ranges,” IAF spokesperson Wing Commander Ashish Moghe said.
“The extended range capability of BrahMos coupled with the high performance of the Sukhoi-30MKI gives the IAF a strategic reach and allows it to dominate the future battlefields. The dedicated and synergetic efforts of IAF, Navy, DRDO, BAPL and HAL have been instrumental in achieving this feat,” he added.