Indian Air-launched BrahMos Missile to be Tested in Combat Mode

India is planning a test of the air-launched BrahMos supersonic cruise in combat mode to test its ability to penetrate hostile environment.

The test planned for the next few days will be the second of the BrahMos from the belly of a Su-30MKI fighter jet. The first, held in November 2018, led to the missile hitting a moving target at sea.

The next test will study how the missile functions in combat mode, sources told defenseworld.net adding that radars and other electronic systems will be tracking the missile to simulate a hostile environment. The success of this test will bring the Su-30MKI- Brahmos combination a step closer to deployment, the sources said.

Meanwhile, The Indian Air Force (IAF) is planning to test fire the air-launched version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile in next few days, following which India would enable it to carry out Balakot-like airstrikes using made in India weapons, India Today reported quoting IAF sources adding that an IAF Sukhoi aircraft will be prepared by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for flying the missile.

IAF has plans of having 40 Su-30MKIs fitted with the BrahMos missiles which can carry out long range standoff strikes against enemy targets. The retrofitting of the aircraft is expected to be completed by 2020. The Brahmos-Su-30MKI combination will give the IAF an ability to strike enemy targets while remaining out of the reach of the enemy’s missiles.