India tests world's first sub-launched supersonic missile

Visakhapatnam, March 20: India today successfully carried out the maiden test firing of the over 290 km-range

-launched version of BrahMos

cruise

in the Bay of Bengal becoming the first country in the world to have this capability.

The submarine-launched version of BrahMos was successfully test fired from an underwater pontoon near here, BrahMos CEO A Sivathanu Pillai said.

This was the first time that a supersonic cruise missile was launched vertically from a submerged platform.

He said the performance of the missile during the test launch was "perfect". Ship and ground-launched versions of the missile have been successfully tested and put into service with the Indian Army and the Navy.

The maiden test of the submarine-launched version of BrahMos comes over a week after the indigenously built long-range subsonic cruise missile Nirbhay failed to hit its target in its first test.

"BrahMos missile is fully ready for fitment in submarines in vertical launch configuration which will make the platform one of the most powerful weapon platforms in the world," Pillai said.

Defence Minister A K Antony congratulated DRDO scientists and Russian specialists along with officers of the Indian Navy associated with the project for successful test launch of missile from an underwater platform.

PTI