BrahMos Cruise Missile

[nitesh]

So is this is the final confirmation

 

[jayadev]

it is a great news.. but we are all waiting to hear that the problems that the missile faced in the previous launch are solved. and we also need to know the guidance system that used in the present launch... whether it is American GPS or Russiam GLONAS

 

[Triton]

So is this is the final confirmation

Nitesh; it is not at all a conformation message; but so far almost all the sources report the same; so we could think that the test was successful; as you said earlier "now we have a really potent LACM." :drink:

 

[LETHALFORCE]

Great news the sensor is suppose to make a smarter missile which can distinguish targets? the first of it's kind in the world, this can probably be applied to many other missiles, this sensor more or less guarantees that the target will be 100% annhiilated.

 

[A.V.]

was this new test launched with a nuclear warhead as was done in the failed last test?

 

[LETHALFORCE]

this was launched with a special sensor which can distinguish targets.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

India Test-Fires New Version Of BrahMos Missile

http://www.rttnews.com/ArticleView.aspx?Id=871895&SMap=1

India Test-Fires New Version Of BrahMos Missile
3/4/2009 5:33 AM ET

(RTTNews) - Wednesday, India test-fired a new version of the 290 km-range supersonic cruise missile BrahMos at Pokharan in the desert of the north-western Indian state of Rajasthan bordering Pakistan, media reports say.

The successful test came after an earlier one January 20 of the Indo-Russian joint venture missile failed, following a deviation of the missile from its course mid-way and missing the target. The failure was pinpointed to a "defect" in the software of the homing device of the missile.

"The Block II BrahMos missile was successfully launched at 1030 hours today," officials of the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), who have developed the weapons system in collaboration with Russian scientists, told reporters.

The missile "took two-and-a-half minutes to strike the target in the Pokhran firing range in Rajasthan," they said, adding the analysis of the parameters of the missile flight would take some time.
The test launch was witnessed by Deputy Army Chief (Planning and Systems) of Staff, three-star General M S Dadwal, among others. The latest land attack version of the missile has been developed for the Army, and the weapon was fired in a vertical-launch configuration, the officials said. The name of the missile is a mixture of 'Brahmaputra', a perenenial river flowing in Eastern India and Bangladesh, and 'Moscow'.

The officials said the "unique" technology in the Block II BrahMos version made the missile an "unparalleled" one, giving the armed forces the ability to hit targets in building clusters. The missile carries a 300-kg conventional warhead and can achieve speeds of up to 2.8 Mach or nearly three times the speed of sound.

"The new seeker system is unique and it will help us to hit the targets, which may be insignificant in terms of size, in a cluster of large buildings. We are the only nation having this advanced technology," they claimed.

The officials said that the Army, which had already armed one regiment with the Block I version of the missile, will start receiving deliveries of the 240 missiles ordered by it in two years as per the original schedule.

by RTT Staff Writer

 

[Singh]

Brahmos test flight result in wraps

New Delhi, March 4: Suspense shrouded the outcome of a test of an advanced version of India’s sole cruise missile, Brahmos, tonight with defence scientists and army officials unwilling to disclose whether the missile had struck its target.

More than eight hours after the planned 150-second test flight of the Brahmos-Mark II cruise missile in Rajasthan’s Pokhran firing range, army sources said they were “still evaluating” whether the 290km-range missile had hit its intended target.

The Brahmos supersonic cruise missile — a weapon designed to home onto targets with the help of sophisticated software — has been developed under a joint project between India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation and a Russian company.

Several tests of the first generation of Brahmos have already been successfully conducted. The army has already raised a regiment of this first version: Brahmos Mark I.

A test of an advanced Brahmos Mark II on January 20 had failed in mid-flight after a successful launch.

A few hours after today’s test, DRDO sources declared it as “largely successful” while army sources said they were “evaluating whether the mission had met all the general staff quality requirements”.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090305/jsp/nation/story_10626548.jsp

DRDO says BrahMos test a success, Army sceptical

New Delhi, Mar 4 (PTI) With the previous trial of BrahMos failing to hit its target, the DRDO today conducted another test launch of the 290 km-range supersonic cruise missile at Pokhran in Rajasthan and claimed that it was a success.
However, the Army, which had punctured DRDO's success claim of the last trial, was still sceptical, saying it would comment on the test-firing only after its analysis of the flight and the mission was complete.

"The Block-II BrahMos missile was successfully launched at 10.30 hours this morning," officials of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), who developed the weapon system in collaboration with the Russians, told PTI.

The missile "took two-and-a-half minutes to strike its target," they said.

But the Army Headquarters refused to confirm or deny the success of the missile's test firing, stating that its officers present at the site were evaluating the data on the flight and the mission.

"We do not want to hurry up things and make a wrong claim on the test-firing of BrahMos. We are the end-users of the missile and we want to be 100 per cent sure of the weapon system's effectiveness before making our views on today's test known," senior Army officers said. PTI

http://www.ptinews.com/pti\ptisite.nsf/0/4DAA8CF0E6502CA06525756F0052EF08?OpenDocument

 

[LETHALFORCE]

They need to keep these tests quiet ;don't need to reveal any details to the press or public.

 

[Singh]

They need to keep these tests quiet ;don't need to reveal any details to the press or public.

Too late now, I don't understand why can't MoD force DRDO and Army to shut up and let PRO MoD release statements only ? we saw this blunder during 26/11 too.. One organization for media interaction fer Godsake.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

why do people need to report details of a strategic weapons test? it only makes things more difficult for the scientists and the military to have to answer evry stupid reporters probbing question.

 

[nitesh]

guys seems like things went according to plan details are emerging now

http://www.hindu.com/2009/03/05/stories/2009030555111100.htm

New BrahMos test successful

T.S. Subramanian

CHENNAI: A new version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile meant to attack a particular target out of a cluster on land was successfully tested at the Army’s range at Pokhran, Rajasthan, on Wednesday.

This was its 19th flight and the launch took place at 10.35 a.m. In its previous flight on January 20 it missed the target following a software glitch.

This variant is called the Block II version. BrahMos is essentially an anti-ship missile.

Informed sources described it as “a difficult mission” because the target was just 50 km away instead of the normal range of 290 km. Besides, the missile had to perform “a discriminatory role”: it had to hit the desired target out of a cluster of small targets, resembling “a factory-type situation.” The time given to the missile to perform manoeuvres and hit the target was much less than the normal flight. But these “constraints were overcome” with the Global Positioning System (GPS) update coming in correctly and the missile homed in on the desired target, sources said.

The missile flew at a velocity of Mach 2, twice the speed of sound. The normal version flies at Mach 3.

Last time the missile failed to hit the target as the GPS did not have time to correct the error in the inertial navigation system (INS). So the GPS update did not come in. This time, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) ensured that even if the GPS update did not flow in, the missile would hit the target. Modifications were made in the software and simulation runs conducted.

The launch met different mission requirements.

 

[Triton]

Thanks for that news update Nitesh; now the picture is getting more clearer with more details; I think the test was successful; all we need is a conformation from the Army guys.

 

[jayadev]

Brahmos II to be Ready by 2013: Sivathanu Pillai

Brahmos Aerospace was working on hypersonic missile project, Brahmos II, and it was expected to be ready by 2013, a top defence official told reporters.

"Once developed, the Missile would have a speed between Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound) and Mach 7", Chief Controller of Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO), A Sivathanu Pillai, told reporters on the sidelines of the inauguration of an exhibition of armoured vehicles by Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE), organised as part of the DRDO Golden Jubilee celebrations.

Pillai, also the CMD of Brahmos, said the future wars would be fought with minimum people using high-powered weapons. "It will be a network centric and fought with intelligent and autonomous systems", he said, adding cyber warfare and robotic systems would dominate the battlefield.

Later in the presence of Sivathanu Pillai, an MoU was signed between CVRDE and Anna University to develop various combat vehicles for future defence purpose. The MoU would facilitate students of the University gain access to high technology labs of CVRDE at Avadi, Outstanding Director of CVRDE, S Sundaresh later said
http://www.india-defence.com/reports/4259

 

[malaymishra123]

We have to realize one thing here,

We are wasting resources. BrahMos has a current range of 290Kms. Granted, that is because of MTCR, and granted, for a missile of its size, it should have more range-but we dont know that.

Considering its official range of 290kms, it is woefully inadequate-against China.
We are developing another subsonic CM with a 700km range. But the point is that BrahMos should have the operational flexibility to be deployed against China as well.

With a range of 300 kms, BrahMos is not useful for targeting anything deeper than Tibet. Since India is obviously mass producing these missiles, would it not have been better, that the stocks could also be pressed to service in the North East as well if the situation so demanded?

That i feel has been a major short-comming of those who made the decision to go for a JV with Russia for BrahMos. There are other means by which BrahMos could have been made with Russia, which would not have made MTCR regulations come in the picture.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

Brahmos 2 will be of greater range since india developed it and it is not an export item, true range of Indian missiles will always be unknown and Brahmos is a great platform, just look at the air version which can be delivered anywhere the plane goes or eventually the sub launched version.

 

[EnlightenedMonk]

We have to realize one thing here,

We are wasting resources. BrahMos has a current range of 290Kms. Granted, that is because of MTCR, and granted, for a missile of its size, it should have more range-but we dont know that.

Considering its official range of 290kms, it is woefully inadequate-against China.
We are developing another subsonic CM with a 700km range. But the point is that BrahMos should have the operational flexibility to be deployed against China as well.

With a range of 300 kms, BrahMos is not useful for targeting anything deeper than Tibet. Since India is obviously mass producing these missiles, would it not have been better, that the stocks could also be pressed to service in the North East as well if the situation so demanded?

That i feel has been a major short-comming of those who made the decision to go for a JV with Russia for BrahMos. There are other means by which BrahMos could have been made with Russia, which would not have made MTCR regulations come in the picture.

Yes, I hope the Brahmos 2 comes with a greater ranger because it is a problem using it against China. And, as far as I'm concerned, China does seem to be the bigger threat with his encricling policy of us.

Also, does anybody know if the Ramjet required for the Brahmos 2 will be developed indigenously in India or will it be a Russian design? If yes, will getting only the engine from a foreign source subject a missile to the MTCR??

And, why the great emphasis on a submarine launched Brahmos? Aren't we going to get the Sagarika soon?? I agree its a conventional missile, but how does it make a difference in the current scenario when neither Pakistan nor China has any missile defence???

 

[LETHALFORCE]

Brahmos test flight result in wraps

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090305/jsp/nation/story_10626548.jsp

Brahmos test flight result in wraps
OUR BUREAU

New Delhi, March 4: Suspense shrouded the outcome of a test of an advanced version of India’s sole cruise missile, Brahmos, tonight with defence scientists and army officials unwilling to disclose whether the missile had struck its target.

More than eight hours after the planned 150-second test flight of the Brahmos-Mark II cruise missile in Rajasthan’s Pokhran firing range, army sources said they were “still evaluating” whether the 290km-range missile had hit its intended target.

The Brahmos supersonic cruise missile — a weapon designed to home onto targets with the help of sophisticated software — has been developed under a joint project between India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation and a Russian company.

Several tests of the first generation of Brahmos have already been successfully conducted. The army has already raised a regiment of this first version: Brahmos Mark I.

A test of an advanced Brahmos Mark II on January 20 had failed in mid-flight after a successful launch.

A few hours after today’s test, DRDO sources declared it as “largely successful” while army sources said they were “evaluating whether the mission had met all the general staff quality requirements”.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

Longest wait for result of fastest missile

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090308/jsp/frontpage/story_10642109.jsp .

Longest wait for result of fastest missile
SUJAN DUTTA
The Brahmos missile

New Delhi, March 7: Three days after India’s military scientists tested a missile that they said took 150 seconds to reach its target, India’s army is still evaluating if it hit the bull’s eye in Rajasthan’s Pokhran desert firing range.

By any standard, 72 hours must be one of the longest periods a supersonic missile — which is touted as the world’s fastest — has taken for an evaluation. The Brahmos Mark II is said to be capable of flying at 2.8 mach or nearly 2.8 times the speed of sound.

The US Tomahawk cruise missile, meanwhile, is knocking on India’s door. Its maker, Raytheon Corporation, has contracted orders for the latest Block IV version of the missile to the UK’s Royal Navy.

Raytheon has also made friendly enquiries in India and has offered to make presentations to the Indian armed forces.

Raytheon has earlier sold through government-to-government contracts six Firefinder artillery gun locating radars to India and is currently supplying equipment to India’s navy and air force apart from the army.

The Indian Army began raising a regiment of the Brahmos Mark I in 2007. The latest Mark II version is claimed to be four times faster and twice as heavy as the Tomahawk.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is also developing a Tomahawk clone, a secret project called the Nirbhay that is being prepared by the Advanced Systems Laboratory in Hyderabad. The Nirbhay is due for testing by end-2009.

The defence research establishment suspects that if Wednesday’s test is shown as a failure, competitors stand to gain.

For Sivathanu Pillai, the director of the Brahmos Mark II project, the Indian Army’s tests on the world’s fastest supersonic cruise missile are a nailbiter.

Brahmos is an acronym from the words Brahmaputra — India’s largest river — and Moskva — one of Russia’s best-known rivers — and is a joint venture between the DRDO and the NPO Mashinostroynia, the Russian Federal Unitary Enterprise.

A test of the Brahmos Mark II on January 20 went awry in mid-flight after a successful launch, missing the target. That test was witnessed by the Indian army chief, General Deepak Kapoor, among others.

The army was smug and, honestly, not unhappy with the failure.

The scientists concluded that a homing device on the Mark II version had failed and the missile missed the target by inches. Pillai had promised it would be set right within weeks and called for a re-test within a fortnight.

After the test on Wednesday (March 4), when Pillai briefly told a local radio correspondent that the test was a success and since then has gone mum, the standard army line has been “we are evaluating if it has met the general staff quality requirements”. The response from the Brahmos project team has been “you will have to ask the army”.

The army team at Wednesday’s test was led by the deputy chief of army staff (planning and systems), Lt Gen Madan. The parameters of the tests have not been made known but two of these are obvious.

First, whether it has hit the target, the bull’s eye, or not.

Second, because it is a cruise missile, whether it has performed an “S” manoeuvre to be able to evade an interceptor.

“We need to study every aspect,” said a senior army officer. “A series of tests have to be performed before we place an order worth Rs 10,000 crore,” he said.

In the 72 hours and more since the test, India’s defence research establishment is still sure about the speed of its missile but is less than sure about the pace of deployment.
Top

 

[EnlightenedMonk]

.

In the 72 hours and more since the test, India’s defence research establishment is still sure about the speed of its missile but is less than sure about the pace of deployment.
Top

Very quick missile, but very slow analysis... hehehehe....

MOD EDIT: Please don't quote whole post for one liners