The Army on Friday successfully conducted the user trial of BrahMos Block-III supersonic cruise missiles that has the ability to engage inaccessible targets inside hillocks.
The test was carried out at a firing range here around 1100 hours and met all the mission parameters, sources said. The Block III version has the capability of scaling mountainous terrain and can take a steep dive to engage targets located inside hillocks, which are otherwise inaccessible.
This was the 25th test of the cruise missile, which has already been inducted in the Army and Navy. Army has plans to induct the missile for mountain warfare.
The missile has the capability to engage ground targets from a very low altitude with minimum radar signature and is considered best for surgical operations. Considered one of the fastest cruise missiles in the world, BrahMos can gain a speed of Mach 2.8. It has a two-stage propulsion system, with a solid-propellant rocket for initial acceleration and a liquid-fuelled ramjet responsible for sustained supersonic cruise.
Jointly developed by India and Russia, BrahMos is a stealth supersonic cruise missile that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft or land. The submarine and air launch version of the missile are under different stages of development and are scheduled for test-firing in next couple of years.
The fire-and-forget missiles are stored, transported and launched from special mobile launchers and can be launched in both vertical and horizontal modes.