India’s BrahMos supersonic cruise missile program is entering a transformative phase following its successful deployment during Operation Sindoor, a targeted military strike against terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The operation, which Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed involved BrahMos missile strikes, has validated the weapon system’s operational effectiveness and highlighted India’s growing missile capabilities.
Pakistan’s acknowledged failure to intercept the incoming BrahMos missiles, despite possessing layered Chinese air defence systems, has underscored the missile’s technological superiority and penetration capabilities.
Extended Range Development: The 800-Kilometre Breakthrough
India’s first major initiative involves the development and production of extended-range BrahMos variants, with recent testing achieving an unprecedented 800-kilometre strike envelope. In a significant breakthrough for India’s defence capabilities, the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was recently tested for an extended range of 800 kilometres in the Bay of Bengal, marking a historic milestone in its development. This test represents the first successful demonstration of the BrahMos-LR (Long Range) variant, significantly enhancing India’s offensive firepower and strategic deterrence capabilities.
The development of extended-range variants became possible following India’s entry into the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) in June 2016, which removed previous restrictions that had capped the BrahMos range at 290 kilometres. The MTCR had previously limited the transfer of missile technology with ranges exceeding 300 kilometres to non-member states, but India’s membership eliminated these barriers and enabled enhanced collaboration with Russia to develop more capable variants.
The technological advancement from the original 290-kilometre range to 800 kilometres has been achieved through multiple iterations. BrahMos Aerospace first extended the missile’s range to 450 kilometres through software modifications and expanded internal fuel tank capacity, with the BrahMos-ER (Extended Range) variant successfully tested in 2017. The latest 800-kilometre variant incorporates further technological improvements, including increased missile length to accommodate a larger fuel tank for its ramjet engine, ensuring sustained supersonic speed over greater distances while maintaining compatibility with existing launchers.
Defence experts emphasise the strategic implications of this extended range capability. The 800-kilometre range enables the Indian Navy to strike land targets and enemy warships from safer stand-off distances, while providing the Indian Army with the ability to target strategic locations deep within adversary territory. This enhanced reach fundamentally alters regional power dynamics by extending India’s strike capabilities well beyond traditional engagement envelopes.
The second critical initiative focuses on perfecting submarine-launched BrahMos variants, transforming underwater platforms into formidable offensive weapons systems. India achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first country in the world to successfully test-fire a submarine-launched supersonic cruise missile, with the BrahMos being fired from an underwater pontoon near Visakhapatnam on March 20, 2013. This ground breaking test demonstrated the missile’s capability to be launched from depths of 40 to 50 meters, establishing India as a pioneer in underwater supersonic missile technology.
The submarine-launched variant maintains the full operational capabilities of its surface-launched counterparts, travelling its complete range of over 290 kilometres during initial testing phases. The performance during these test launches has been characterised as “perfect” by BrahMos leadership, indicating the successful adaptation of the missile system for underwater deployment. The missile’s vertical launch configuration makes it compatible with submarine platforms, creating what industry experts describe as “one of the most powerful weapon platforms in the world”.
Current development efforts are focusing on integrating submarine-launched BrahMos variants into India’s P75I submarine program, which represents the next generation of conventional submarines for the Indian Navy. Both anti-ship and land-attack variants of the submarine-launched BrahMos are ready for induction, providing future Indian submarines with unprecedented offensive capabilities. Russia has confirmed that future Indian-made submarines will be armed with smaller versions of the missile designed to fit inside torpedo tubes, maximising deployment flexibility.
The strategic value of submarine-launched BrahMos capabilities cannot be overstated, as it provides India with a stealthy, mobile strike platform capable of operating undetected in enemy waters. This capability enables surprise attacks against high-value targets while maintaining the submarine’s concealment, fundamentally changing underwater warfare dynamics in the Indian Ocean region.
The third major development initiative involves creating miniaturised BrahMos variants specifically designed for integration with a broader range of fighter aircraft platforms. The BrahMos-NG (Next Generation) missile, currently under development by BrahMos Aerospace, represents a miniaturised version of the iconic BrahMos missile capable of reaching Mach 3.5 speeds. This supersonic cruise missile provides India with unique capabilities to launch high-speed, high-impact attacks from various aircraft platforms, significantly expanding deployment options.
The miniaturisation effort addresses the weight and aerodynamic constraints that have previously limited BrahMos deployment to larger aircraft like the Su-30MKI. The BrahMos-NG is specifically designed to be smaller and lighter than the original BrahMos, allowing integration with platforms such as the Rafale M without significant aerodynamic or weight penalties. This development enables a broader range of Indian fighter aircraft to carry and deploy supersonic cruise missiles, multiplying the force multiplication effects across the Indian Air Force and Navy.
Despite its reduced size, the BrahMos-NG maintains impressive performance characteristics, including a range of 290 kilometres that allows strikes deep within enemy defensive zones while keeping launch platforms out of harm’s way. The missile’s Mach 3.5 speed makes interception by traditional anti-missile systems extremely challenging for hostile targets, while its combination of speed, range, and stealth characteristics creates a nearly unstoppable threat profile.
The integration of BrahMos-NG with platforms like the Rafale-M will enable Indian pilots to conduct high-speed, supersonic attacks that deliver maximum damage while minimising exposure to counterattacks. This capability is particularly valuable for maintaining control over critical sea lanes and maritime chokepoints, allowing the Indian Navy to strike swiftly and decisively without risking fighter jets or ships.
India’s fourth major initiative involves the development of BrahMos II, a hypersonic missile system that promises to redefine missile technology dynamics through unprecedented speed and penetration capabilities. BrahMos II will be based on hypersonic scramjet technology, with speeds exceeding five times the speed of sound (over 6,115 kilometres per hour), providing several strategic advantages including dramatically reduced reaction time for adversaries. The primary purpose of this weapon system is to target deeply buried enemy nuclear bunkers and heavily protected locations that conventional missiles cannot effectively engage.
The development of BrahMos II represents nearly a decade of collaborative effort between India and Russia, with ambitious schedules driving technological innovation. In 2014, BrahMos Aerospace announced that India had developed designs for a new hypersonic engine, though the main challenge involves finding materials resistant to the extreme temperatures generated at hypersonic speeds. The missile hull utilises composite materials, but hypersonic speeds subject the weapon to heavy friction and high temperatures, requiring special alloy coatings to manage thermal stress.
Progress toward hypersonic capabilities has involved extensive testing and validation of critical technologies. India’s Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV) testing program has played a crucial role in validating essential hypersonic weapon elements, confirming success in aerodynamic layouts for hypersonic manoeuvres, scramjet propulsion ignition and combustion, thermo-structural performance of high-temperature materials, and separation mechanisms at hypersonic velocities. Recent developments indicate accelerating progress, with BrahMos Aerospace stating in 2023 that a hypersonic missile could be developed within eight years of government approval. The collaboration between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Russian counterpart Nikolai Patrushev in April 2023 discussed joint development of the hypersonic BrahMos version, with potential feature sharing with Russia’s Tsirkon missile technology. The establishment of India’s first Hypervelocity Expansion Tunnel Test Facility at IIT Kanpur in February 2024 represents critical infrastructure development supporting hypersonic weapon research.
Several Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam, have reportedly expressed interest in BrahMos missile systems, indicating growing regional demand for advanced supersonic cruise missile capabilities. Middle Eastern nations have also shown interest in acquiring these weapons, suggesting potential for significant export expansion beyond the immediate South Asian region. The international interest reflects recognition of BrahMos superior performance characteristics compared to alternative cruise missile systems available in the global market.
The operational success of BrahMos during Operation Sindoor has provided concrete validation of the weapon system’s effectiveness, addressing any lingering questions about its combat capabilities. Pakistan’s acknowledged inability to intercept these missiles despite sophisticated air defence systems demonstrates the technological superiority of the BrahMos platform and its potential to maintain effectiveness against evolving threats.
IDN
