Indian Army test-fires extended range BrahMos cruise missile

BrahMos ER is an improved variant of baseline BrahMos (pictured above) taking part in India's Republic Day parade. The estimated range of the extended variant is 72% (between 450 and 500 km) more than the baseline version range of 290 km. (Indian Ministry of Defence)

The BrahMos Missile Regiment of the Indian Army has test-fired a land-attack version of extended range BrahMos supersonic cruise missile (BrahMos ER) from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on 10 October, an Indian Army official told Janes.

The official said the test was part of the induction trials. “The missile has not yet been inducted, and the Indian Army will consider inducting it based on the outcomes of the test,” the official added.

According to the official, the missile will go through additional trials before being inducted into the Indian Army.

The BrahMos ER is developed by BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture (JV) between Russia's NPO Mashinostroyeniya (NPO Mash) and India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

According to Janes data, BrahMos ER is an improved variant of its basic configuration. The missile's configuration and overall dimension remain unchanged from the baseline version but the ER missile likely features an active radar seeker. The missile is powered by a liquid propellant ramjet motor.

Janes estimates the range of the extended variant to be around 72% (between 450 and 500 km) more than the baseline version range of 290 km.