India tests world's first Submarine-launched version of BrahMos missil
Visakhapatnam, Mar 20 : India today successfully carried out the maiden test firing of the over 290 km-range submarine-launched version of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile in the Bay of Bengal, becoming the first country in the world to have this capability.
According to top Defence officials, the submarine-launched version of BrahMos was successfully test fired from an underwater pontoon near here this afternoon.
BrahMos CEO A Sivathanu Pillai, said this was the first time that a supersonic cruise missile was launched vertically from a submerged platform.
The performance of the missile during the test launch was 'perfect'. Ship and ground-launched versions of the missile have been successfully tested and put into service with the Indian Army and the Navy, he added.
The maiden test of the submarine-launched version of BrahMos comes over a week after the indigenously built long-range subsonic cruise missile Nirbhay failed to hit its target in its first test.
'BrahMos missile is fully ready for fitment in submarines in vertical launch configuration which will make the platform one of the most powerful weapon platforms in the world,' Mr Pillai said.
Union Defence Minister A K Antony today congratulated DRDO scientists and Russian specialists along with officers of the Indian Navy associated with the project for successful test launch of the missile from an underwater platform.
A hypersonic version of the missile is currently under development with speed of Mach 7 to boost aerial fast strike capability. It is expected to be ready for testing by 2017, according to sources.
The BrahMos missile programme is a joint venture between India's state-owned Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia's NPO Mashinostroeyenia, who have together formed BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited (BOPL).
The name BrahMos is a portmanteau formed from the names of two rivers, the Brahmaputra of India and the Moskva of Russia.