India test fires BRAHMOS cruise missile

Balasore (Orissa), Sep 5 (ANI): India on Sunday test-fired the 290-km range BRAHMOS cruise missile from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur-on- sea off the Orissa coast.

"It was a user's trial by the defence forces," said a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) official.

The missile can fly at 2.8 times the speed of sound, and can carry conventional warheads up to 300 kg for a range of 290 km.

India and Russia are jointly designing the BRAHMOS missile. It is a supersonic cruise missile capable of being launched from submarines, ships, aircraft and land-based Mobile Autonomous Launchers (MAL).

The BRAHMOS missile is a two-stage vehicle that has a solid propellant booster and a liquid propellant ram-jet system.

The first flight test of the BRAHMOS was conducted on June 12, 2001 at the ITR at Chandipur in Orissa coast and the last trial of the naval version of BRAHMOS was carried out in a vertical mode successfully on March 21, 2010 from Indian navy ship INS Ranvir off Orissa coast. (ANI)