BRAHMOS The World’s Fastest Cruise Missile Test Fired From INS Kochi
INS Kochi is the second Kolkata-class stealth destroyer of the Indian Navy and it was commissioned in 30 September 2015.
Another milestone for BRAHMOS! World’s fastest anti-ship cruise missile, the BRAHMOS, has been successfully test fired from Indian Navy’s INS Kochi today, sources told Financial Express Online.
BRAHMOS, jointly developed by India and Russia, is a lethal missile and its successful test firing from Indian Navy’s stealth destroyer is a big leg up for India’s defence preparedness.
According to sources, BRAHMOS with a strike range of 290 kilometres, successfully hit a decommissioned target ship in the Arabian Sea.
The BRAHMOS missile performed “high-level and extremely complex manoeuvre ” before successfully hitting the decommissioned target ship with “high precision”, sources told Financial Express Online. BRAHMOS has already been inducted in all three defence services – Indian Army, Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force.
It has a supersonic speed of Mach 2.8, and the very low-cruising altitude of 10 metres at terminal phase allows for pin-point accuracy. BRAHMOS has been in service with the Indian Navy since 2005.
INS Kochi is the second Kolkata-class stealth destroyer of the Indian Navy and it was commissioned in 30 September 2015. Today’s BRAHMOS test firing is the second from INS Kochi.
The advanced BRAHMOS missile was test-fired during a naval drill along the country’s west coast. BRAHMOS is the prime strike weapon of INS Kochi and with 16 BRAHMOS missiles the warship’s invincibility in engaging naval surface targets is lethal, sources said.
INS Kochi warship has the capability to carry 16 BRAHMOS missiles in two 8-cell vertical launch systems, besides other sophisticated weapons and sensors. Sources said that with BRAHMOS on-board INS Kochi is “one of the deadliest” warships in Indian Navy fleet.
The 7,500-ton ‘Make in India’ warship incorporates new design concepts for improved maneuverability, sea-keeping, survivability and stealth. The BRAHMOS cruise missile has also been successfully test-fired from INS Kolkata in the past.
