BrahMos missile misses target at first user trial
Manu Pubby Posted: Jan 21, 2009 at 1004 hrs IST
New Delhi: Ii is the pride of India’s defence research programme but the BrahMos surface-to-surface cruise missile failed to meet user and operational parameters at its first ever user trial at the Pokharan ranges in Rajasthan on Tuesday. Sources at the test site told this newspaper that the Indo-Russian missile failed to hit its target after it was fired by the Army on Tuesday morning. The test-firing, first ever to be conducted by the Army after the missile was inducted in June 2007, was witnessed by Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor and other senior officers.
The supersonic cruise missile was test-fired from a mobile launcher at the Pokharan ranges, barely a hundred kilometres away from the Pakistan border. However, Defence Minister A K Antony clarified that the test was pre-planned and not directed towards any country.
While DRDO has been silent on the test-firing, sources said the missile did not meet its ‘operational parameters’ and deviated from the pre-planned course, failing to hit its target. They said the test was a setback but ‘quiet normal’ during the development of any new missile system. More firing trials will be required to identify faults in the system.
The BrahMos, which has been described as a stealthy cruise missile that can deliver a 200 kg payload to a target 280 km away at speeds exceeding 2.8 Mach, has been in service with the Navy and was inducted into the Army in 2007. Surprisingly, the first user test firing took place almost two years after its induction indicating that the missile was being fine-tuned by the joint Indo-Russian scientific team that is working on the project.
The surface-to-surface missile system has been inducted as a separate artillery unit consisting of four launchers. The Army is looking to acquire close to 80 launchers over the next few years to give a boost to its artillery units. The BrahMos was originally designed as an anti ship missile but DRDO is also working on a smaller air launched version, to be fitted on the IAF’s SU 30 MKI.
While the missile has been developed under a joint venture between India and Russia with both sides funding the research programme, Moscow is yet to place any orders for the missile. India, on the other hand, is also planning to install the missile on its submarines.
Link
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/brahmos-missile-misses-target-at-first-u.../413384/
Manu Pubby Posted: Jan 21, 2009 at 1004 hrs IST
New Delhi: Ii is the pride of India’s defence research programme but the BrahMos surface-to-surface cruise missile failed to meet user and operational parameters at its first ever user trial at the Pokharan ranges in Rajasthan on Tuesday. Sources at the test site told this newspaper that the Indo-Russian missile failed to hit its target after it was fired by the Army on Tuesday morning. The test-firing, first ever to be conducted by the Army after the missile was inducted in June 2007, was witnessed by Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor and other senior officers.
The supersonic cruise missile was test-fired from a mobile launcher at the Pokharan ranges, barely a hundred kilometres away from the Pakistan border. However, Defence Minister A K Antony clarified that the test was pre-planned and not directed towards any country.
While DRDO has been silent on the test-firing, sources said the missile did not meet its ‘operational parameters’ and deviated from the pre-planned course, failing to hit its target. They said the test was a setback but ‘quiet normal’ during the development of any new missile system. More firing trials will be required to identify faults in the system.
The BrahMos, which has been described as a stealthy cruise missile that can deliver a 200 kg payload to a target 280 km away at speeds exceeding 2.8 Mach, has been in service with the Navy and was inducted into the Army in 2007. Surprisingly, the first user test firing took place almost two years after its induction indicating that the missile was being fine-tuned by the joint Indo-Russian scientific team that is working on the project.
The surface-to-surface missile system has been inducted as a separate artillery unit consisting of four launchers. The Army is looking to acquire close to 80 launchers over the next few years to give a boost to its artillery units. The BrahMos was originally designed as an anti ship missile but DRDO is also working on a smaller air launched version, to be fitted on the IAF’s SU 30 MKI.
While the missile has been developed under a joint venture between India and Russia with both sides funding the research programme, Moscow is yet to place any orders for the missile. India, on the other hand, is also planning to install the missile on its submarines.
Link
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/brahmos-missile-misses-target-at-first-u.../413384/
