Sunday, 13 Oct, 2024
By: Yash Gupte
The country’s air force has taken the bold decision of inducting Sukhoi 30 MKI fighters with the advanced version of the BrahMos missile which has been jointly developed by India and Russia. Image Source: IANS
Considering the Air Force’s decision to equip the fighter jets with the advanced version of BrahMos missile, India Tracker draws a comparison between the BrahMos I and BrahMos II missile
The Indian Air Force is all set to increase the number of Sukhoi 30 (Su-30) MKI fighters equipped with the latest edition of the BrahMos missile with a range of more than 500 Kms. Considering the threats and increasing challenges from both its neighbors- China and Pakistan, the country’s air force has taken the bold decision of inducting Sukhoi 30 MKI fighters with the advanced version of the BrahMos missile which has been jointly developed by India and Russia. The decision also comes after the USA’s decision of increasing the military assistance to Pakistan through which the latter will be maintaining its fleet of the F-16 aircrafts.
The Print had learned from its sources in the Ministry of Defense that India is the only country in the world to have the supersonic cruise missile- BrahMos and the Indian Air Force has 40 Sukhoi 30 MKI fighters equipped with the state-of-the-art missile. Sources in the defense and security establishment also said that while the range of the missile was 290 km earlier, it has been extended to over 500 km.
Considering the Air Force’s decision to equip the fighter jets with the advanced version of BrahMos missile, India Tracker draws a comparison between the BrahMos I and BrahMos II missile.
BrahMos missiles are manufactured in India under a joint venture which was formed in 1998 between India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya. The name BrahMos has been derived from the names of two rivers — India’s Brahmaputra and Russia’s Moskva.
In August 2020, the IAF commissioned the 222-strong "Tiger Sharks" squadron of Sukhoi Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft outfitted with the BrahMos in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. The Southern Air Command served as the first base for Fourth Generation air dominance fighters. Given the Su-30s' ability to conduct maritime strikes, the IAF took this action in an effort to monitor the Chinese naval presence in the Indian Ocean region. The strategic position of Thanjavur was another factor in the decision to deploy the Su-30 MKIs. There are 18 fighters in the Tiger Sharks squadron, and around six of them are equipped with BrahMos.
A hypersonic missile moves at a minimum speed Mach 5. It can move around a lot, unlike a ballistic missile, which has a set trajectory. The hypersonic variant of the missile, known as the BrahMos-2 in India, is anticipated to have a 1,500 km range. It is the fastest thing in the world thanks to trials that put its speed at almost Mach 8. The missile's hypersonic variant is called BrahMos-2. According to a senior defense ministry official, it will probably reach the prototype stage within the next three years. The export variant of the BrahMos has a range of 290 km to keep it under the MTCR constraints of 300 km. The newest versions of the BrahMos have a range of approximately 500 km.
The advanced version of the BrahMos missile will provide a boost not only to the fighter jets of the Indian Air Force but the missile will also enhance the naval capability of India as it can be deployed on submarines and the recently built Vikrant aircraft carrier. The missile is set to provide a boost to India’s one of the most ambitious project- Indian Navy’s Project 75 (P75I), under this project, the Indian Navy intends to acquire six conventional, diesel-electric attack submarines, which will also feature advanced capabilities.
