The Indian Navy has successfully conducted a test-firing of its highly manoeuvrable naval version of the Brahmos supersonic cruise missile, in salvo mode, from Talwar-class ship INS Trikand (F51), off the Arabian Sea.
RIA Novosti cited a spokesman as saying that during the DefExpo-2014 exhibition in New Delhi, the two missiles were launched within an interval of several seconds.
Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) official was quoted by the Press Trust of India (PTI) as saying: "For the first time, the Brahmos cruise missile was fired in salvo mode from the Russian-built warship off the coast of Karnataka with an interval of three seconds off the coast of Goa."
The official said that in salvo mode, eight 290km-range cruise missiles can be fired in future.
The missile has been developed by BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture between India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and NPO Mashinostroeyenia of Russia.
Based on the Russian-built P-800 Oniks / Yakhont supersonic anti-ship cruise missile, the 290km-range weapon has a speed of 2.8Mach and can be launched from land, naval and air platforms.
BrahMos ground and ship-launched variants have been successfully inducted into service with the Indian Army and Navy, while the Indian Air Force (IAF) is planning to equip Sukhoi SU-30MKI Flanker-H aircraft with aircraft-launched variant, BrahMos A.
Featuring a fire control system, with high salvo launch capability and enhanced with an inertial navigation system, the ship-launched missile system can be deployed on frigates, corvettes, offshore patrol vessels and other types of vessels to attack sea and land-based targets.
To date, the Indian Army has placed orders for the Brahmos missile for three regiments, of which two of them have already been inducted operationally.
