India successfully test fires BrahMos anti-ship cruise

RIA Novosti ^ | 3/21/2010 | RIA Novosti

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

The Indian Navy has successfully test-fired the BrahMos supersonic anti-ship cruise missile, the Indian-Russian joint venture BrahMos Aerospace said on Sunday.

The missile, fired from a new vertical launch pad, hit the target in the Bay of Bengal, BrahMos Aerospace said.

The BrahMos missile has a range of 290 km (180 miles) and can carry a conventional warhead of up to 300 kg (660 lbs). It can effectively engage ground targets from an altitude as low as 10 meters (30 feet) and has a top speed of Mach 2.8, which is about three times faster than the U.S.-made subsonic Tomahawk cruise missile.

Established in 1998, BrahMos Aerospace produces and markets BrahMos supersonic missiles. The sea-based and land-based versions have been successfully tested and put into service with the Indian Army and Navy.

[James C. Bennett]

This class of missiles are a growing threat, and are probably impossible to defend against, barring the usage of megawatt laser-based systems.

If this spreads to other countries, it’s going to spell big trouble.

[James C. Bennett]

are = is.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

I agree. This is a very deady new class of cruise missile.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

[ketelone]

The tomahawk is an incorrect analogy, largely used only for land attack. ASCM equivalent would be the Harpoon. Though its still faster than the harpoon.

[spetznaz]

The BrahMos is one nasty critter. Even if the warhead was a dud, the sheer kinetic energy would be more than sufficient to thoroughly devastate a Destroyer. Furthermore, at the speeds it is traveling at, even a successful interception (successful meaning that the, say, Phalanx or the Rolling Airframe missile, hit the Brahmos) may not be sufficient to stop the ship from being damaged by the shrapnel traveling at mach speed.

Here is a video of a target test of the BrahMos ...note the speed, and the rather amazing accuracy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HDVhX7PZHg&feature=related

[denydenydeny]

I was going to say, good thing they’re on our side, but with Obama you can’t guarantee that anymore, with any country.

[VOA]

bump