In yet another major achievement, India on Monday successfully test-fired BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from test range along Odisha coast, according to Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) officials.
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman congratulated DRDO scientists and team BrahMos for the successful launch of BrahMos missile with new technology on Monday.
"Smt @nsitharaman congratulates Team Brahmos & @DRDO_India for successful flight test carried out at 1040 hrs on 21 May 2018 from ITR, Balasore to validate BRAHMOS missile life extension technologies developed for the first time in India," Sitharaman's office wrote in a Twitter post.
Earlier, on March 22, the supersonic cruise missile was successfully launched with an indigenous seeker at Pokhran test range in Rajasthan.
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The range of the missile can be extended up to 400 km as certain technical restrictions were lifted after India became a full member of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) last year.
BrahMos is a joint venture between DRDO of India and NPO Mashinostroyenia (NPOM) of Russia. The missile is the heaviest weapon to be deployed on India's Su-30 fighter aircraft.
The Indo-Russia joint venture, which currently travels at mach 2.8 or 2.8 times the speed of sound, will have to be tinkered to achieve mach 5 in the next three years.
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Work has already begun to integrate the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile on 40 Sukhoi combat aircraft which is expected to fulfil the critical needs of the Indian Air Force in the wake of evolving security dynamics in the region.
(With inputs from agencies)
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