Prelims: Current events of national and international importance| Security Issues
Why in news?
Recently BrahMos missile was likely used in the precision strikes against Pakistan’s military bases during Operation Sindoor on May 10.
- BrahMos missile – It is an unmanned payload rocket, which is equipped with a propulsion system, guidance system and a warhead.
- Origin – BrahMos is a joint venture between India's DRDO and Russia's NPO Mashinostroyenia (NPOM).
- It is named after the Brahmaputra (India) and Moskva (Russia) rivers.
- India holds 50.5% stake, Russia holds 49.5% stake and it is first successfully tested on June 12, 2001.
Technical Specifications
- It is a Supersonic cruise missile (3 times the speed of sound in cruise phase).
- It can take a trajectory from Low to high in a quick time period, and it is very difficult for any ship-based radar to detect.
- Two-stage missile - First stage is solid propellant booster engine which propels to supersonic speed, and it then gets separated.
- The second stage of the liquid ramjet then fires and thrusts the missile to three times the speed of sound in its cruise phase.
Liquid ramjet is an air-breathing jet engine that uses liquid fuel, which is injected into high-speed airstream and ignited to produce thrust.
- Fire and forget - 'Fire and forget' missiles are guided weapons that require no further input or control after being launched.
- It can achieve cruising altitude of 15 kilometers and terminal altitude as low as 10 meters
- BrahMos is its extremely low radar cross-section (RCS) because of its compact design and use of special materials.
Low Radar Cross Section (RCS) refers to a design that minimizes an object's reflection ability, so that it cannot be detected by the Radars.
BrahMos variants
- Navy variant – It can be fired from moving/static naval platforms.
- Land variant – It can be launched from mobile autonomous launchers with 3 missiles per launcher.
- Air variant – It is carried by Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jets.
- Submarine variant – It can be launched from 50 meters below water surface.
- BrahMos-NG (Next Generation) – It is under development with reduced dimensions and enhanced stealth.
- Recently the BrahMos Aerospace facility was inaugurated in Lucknow to produce the BRAHMOS-NG variant.
Strategic Importance
- It is considered as a versatile "stand-off range weapon" because they can be launched from a safe distance, keeping the attacker out of enemy defence range.
- It is superior than subsonic cruise missiles (Nirbhay) with high speed, flight range, and more kinetic energy.
Reference
The Indian Express| BrahMos missile
