New Delhi. BrahMos Aerospace has developed the Block II version of its supersonic BrahMos missile to reduce clutter and home on to specific targets.

The new version with improved software was test-fired for the third time on March 29th, meeting all the parameters specified by the Indian Army, and declared “ready for induction” for land attack role up to a target of 290 km. The range of the missile is limited below 300 km and the payload is also restricted to less than 500 kg in accordance with the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) which India has observed without being a signatory.

Notably though, the other equal partner in the BrahMos venture, Russia, is a signatory to the MTCR, and therefore obliged not to cross these limitations.

India holds 50.50 per cent of the BrahMos shares, and Russia, 49.50.

A statement released by the BrahMos Aerospace and India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) said that the new missile, fired at 1115 IST from a mobile launcher at the Pokhran test range in western India, “hit the desired target at bull’s eye, meeting all mission parameters.”

The new system has an advanced seeker, or a homing device, to lead the missile to the chosen target despite the number of other similar looking targets around it.

Pictures and video footage of the test were released to the media.

Top Army officers, Lt Gen A S Sekhon, Director General Military Operations (DGMO), Lt Gen K R Rao, Commandant School of Artillery, Devlali, and Maj Gen V K Tiwari, Additional Director General Artillery, were present to witness the successful test. The Army Headquarters would shortly take a decision on inducting the new missile in line with their recommendations.

Noted missile scientist Dr A Sivathanu Pillai, Chairman and Managing Director of BrahMos Aerospace was himself present at the test firing along with Mr P Venugopalan, Director Defence Research and Development Laboratory, Hyderabad (DRDL), Project Director S Som and Executive Director (Production) Rear Admiral (Retd) S. Mohapatra and other senior scientists.

It may be recalled that Indian missile scientists have achieved a steady stream of successes in missilery in the recent years, and thanks to the Indo-Russian collaboration, the Indian Army is already the first one to possess supersonic missiles for land attack role.

The statement said that “with this launch the requirement of Army for the Land attack version with Block-II advanced seeker software with target discriminating capabilities has been fully met and this version is ready for induction.

“This will provide an enhanced capability to the user for selection of a particular land target amongst a group of targets.”

The statement pointed out: With this success, BrahMos has become the only supersonic cruise missile possessing this advanced capability in the world providing an edge to the user with precision hit.

(And) The Indian Army is the first army in the world to have a regiment of supersonic cruise missile with advanced capabilities.”