BrahMos test-firing a 100% success: Scientist

The Indian Express (April 22, 2007)                                                                           Print This News

Balasore: The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, jointly developed by India and Russia, was successfully test-fired from the interim test range (ITR) at Chandipur today. Terming the test a "100 per cent success", top missile scientist A Sivathanu Pillai, who heads the BrahMos project, said on phone: "It was a very good flight, an excellent one. The high reliability and new operational capabilities of the missile were established during the flight."

The launch established the missile's precision, long-range manoeuvres and high level of operational features required by the Army during war, said Pillai, the CEO of BrahMos Aerospace Private Ltd. BrahMos, which has a range of 290 km, blasted off in the presence of Pillai, some 30 Russian scientists and experts from the Defence Research and Development Organisation at 11.21 am.

This was the 14th launch of the missile. The last test was conducted at the ITR on February 4.

Taking off vertically from launch pad number three of the ITR, BrahMos followed its predetermined course, leaving a trail of thick white smoke. After it was fired from the launcher, its trajectory was tracked by instruments on the ground and radars for detailed analysis.

BrahMos was developed under an Indo-Russian joint venture following an agreement signed by the two countries on February 12, 1998. The name BrahMos is derived from the names of the two great rivers of India and Russia -- Brahmaputra and Moskva. The missile is jointly produced by India’s DRDO and Russia's NPO Mashinostroyenia under a project codenamed PJ-10.

It was first tested on June 12, 2001. The sleek two-stage missile is powered by a solid propellant booster and a liquid propellant ramjet system. The eight-metre missile weighing three tonnes has been configured so that it can be launched from the ground, ships and aircraft.