India’s BrahMos missile is redefining modern warfare with its supersonic speed and pinpoint accuracy.
New Delhi: In the current backdrop of hostilities between Pakistan and India, Islamabad has claimed that India used the BrahMos during the conflict. Although no official word has been received from New Delhi, the BrahMos is one of the most potent weapons in India’s military arsenal.
India has already successfully tested the BrahMos missile from its front-line fighter aircraft, the Sukhoi-30MKI. The missile, a collaborative initiative between India and Russia, is named after the rivers Brahmaputra (India) and Moskva (Russia).
So, why is the BrahMos so unique? Here are five major reasons:
Supersonic Speed That Beats Radar
The BrahMos is among the world’s fastest supersonic cruise missiles, which can travel at speeds just shy of three times the speed of sound. It can easily slip past enemy radar and catch them by surprise.
Pinpoint Accuracy
It has the capability of striking targets to an extreme precision, within one meter from 290 kilometers distance. Its sensor seeker is capable of identifying and destroying the target even among others that are so similar.
Multi-Platform Capability
BrahMos is capable of being launched from submarines, ships, aircraft, or land, providing the Indian Armed Forces considerable strategic maneuverability. It was initially installed on the INS Rajput in 2005, with installation in the Indian Army and Air Force following suit.
Destructive Potential
Former DRDO scientist Ravi Gupta recalls testing a non-warhead BrahMos missile against an old ship around 2005. The missile tore through the vessel and split it in two within minutes—demonstrating its destructive potential even without explosives.
Future-Ready with Scramjet Engines
India tested a scramjet engine recently on January 21, 2025. Once fitted in BrahMos, this engine would increase the speed of the missile to eight times that of sound, rendering it almost impossible to detect and multiplying its destructive capacity many times over.
Now the missile has a weight of about 2,900 kg and can only fit one on a fighter plane. The newer generation version, BrahMos NG with a weight of 1,260 kg and a range of 300 km, is currently being developed. This would help aircraft carry a maximum of five missiles per load.
Defense analyst Colonel Manish Ojha (Retd.) pointed out, “The BrahMos has become a long-range, very accurate and killer missile after several successful trials. To be placed on the Sukhoi-30MKI, its capability to strike has greatly enhanced. Efforts are underway to make it even more advanced.”
With state-of-the-art enhancements and unrivaled speed, the BrahMos is not merely a missile—it’s a strategic weapon transforming India’s defense posturing.
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