New successful test firing for BRAHMOS ground-launched cruise missile.

Russian-Indian BrahMos Aerospace joint venture (JV) has conducted another successful test firing of the BRAHMOS ground-launched cruise missile (GLCM) in order to prove life extension technologies, Indian media outlets say.

Brahmos ground-launched cruise missile at DefExpo defense exhibition in India, February 2014.  (Picture source Army Recognition)

BrahMos Aerospace has performed the test in conjunction with India`s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) at 10:30 am (8:00 am UTC+3, Moscow time) at the Basalore integrated test range (ITR), Odisha state. According to Indian officials, the test is intended to prove life extension technologies, which allow the extension of the BRAHMOS missile`s service life from 10 years to 15 years.

India`s defense industry is ramping up the manufacturing of the BRAHMOS missiles. In early July, the Larsen & Toubro (L&T) company launched a new production line, which would manufacture transport/launch canisters (TLCs) and airframes for the BRAHMOS, in Vadodara, Gujarat state.

The baseline BRAHMOS GLCM has a launch range of approximately 290 km (180 miles) and speed of Mach 2.8-3.0. In 2016, India joined the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and got the right to develop cruise missiles with extended launch ranges for the national armed forces. In March 2017, the Indian defense industry tested an extended-range variant of the BRAHMOS, the BRAHMOS-ER (ER for Extended Range), which was reported to be able to hit targets at a distance of approximately 400 km. This test was followed by a piece of information, according to which India would test an 800-km modification of the BRAHMOS in 2018. The longer-range variant of the missile will be fitted to the Sukhoi Su-30MKI multirole combat aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF). It should be mentioned that several IAF Su-30MKIs are being modified in order to be able to carry the newest BRAHMOS-A (A for Air-launched) air-launched cruise missile (ALCM). The BrahMos Aerospace company is also reported to be developing the BRAHMOS-NG (NG for New Generation) ALCM for multirole combat aircraft of the IAF.

According to BrahMos Aerospace CEO Sudhir Kumar Mishra, the volume of the JV`s order backlog had exceeded USD7 billion by October 2017. However, the company has not received any export orders for the BRAHMOS missile yet.

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