Wednesday, Dec 22, 2004
BrahMos-II bang on target
By T.S. Subramanian
CHENNAI, DEC. 21. BrahMos II, the land-to-land version of the supersonic cruise missile jointly developed by India and Russia, was test-fired for the first time in the Army configuration this afternoon in a desert range in Rajasthan. The missile took off at 12.40 p.m. from an independent mobile launcher with a mobile command post and control units, which provided information on the target.
The highlight of the successful flight was that out of a cluster of tall concrete structures in the desert, the missile "discriminated" a pre-determined building and pulverised it. Its control and guidance systems were thus proved.
Ninth flight
This is the ninth flight of BrahMos and all of them have been successful. BrahMos is essentially an anti-ship supersonic missile, which flies at a speed of 2.8 to 3 Mach (2.8 to three times the speed of sound). Three of the earlier flights were launched from a naval ship towards targets in the sea, including two decommissioned vessels. Three were from a mobile launcher on land at the Integrated-Test-Range at Chandipur-on-sea, Orissa, towards the sea. The remaining two were also launched from land towards the sea.
But this is the first time that BrahMos was launched from land towards a target on land. Hence it is called BrahMos II land-to-land version in the Army configuration.
When contacted, A. Sivathanu Pillai, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, BrahMos Aerospace, which manufactures the missile, said "the mission was totally successful." The Army top brass present were "extremely happy to see such a good flight," Dr.
Pillai said.
'Excellent mission'
Mission Director P. Venugopalan called it an "excellent mission" and said that it was achieved by joint effort, including from the Army.
Top Army officers who witnessed the flight, included the Chief of the Army Staff-designate, Lt. Gen. J.J. Singh; the Deputy Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. P.P.S. Bhandari; the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, southern command, Lt. Gen. B.S. Takhar; the General Officer Commanding, 12 Corps, Lt. Gen. K.S. Jamwal; and the Director-General, Artillery, Lt. Gen. R.S. Nagra. Officers of the Navy and the Air Force, and also the Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister, M. Natarajan, were also present.
Informed sources said the range of the BrahMos II was not important because the 290 km reach had been proved in the previous flights. What was important was that "there were a number of buildings in the new scenario" and the missile had to hit a particular one. BrahMos II was spot on, its sophisticated guidance system taking it straight to the target.
India and Russia are to jointly develop the air-launched version of BrahMos. It will be integrated with the Russian multi-role fighter aircraft Sukhoi-30 MKI (Mark India). This version will be ready in two years. The naval version has already been proved and it will be inducted soon into the Navy. The BrahMos is a "universal" missile that can be launched from silos and mobile launchers on land, ships, submarines and aircraft.
Copyright © 2004, The Hindu.