The Indian Navy has successfully test fired a vertical-launch version of a 290km-range BrahMos cruise missile from a warship in the Bay of Bengal off the Orissa coast.

The BrahMos is a manoeuvrable supersonic cruise missile developed by the Indo-Russian joint venture company, BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited.

During the test-fire, the missile was launched from the warship INS Ranvir to hit a free-floating ship, piercing it above the waterline and destroying it completely, according to Associated Press Pakistan.

BrahMos aerospace chief A Sivathanu Pillai said that India had become the first and only country in the world to have a manoeuvrable supersonic cruise missile in its arsenal.

The supersonic cruise missile system has been fitted onto the Indian Navy’s Shivalik Class frigates.

According to navy officials, three of the navy’s Talwar Class ships being built in Russia have also been fitted with vertical launchers.