India test-fires extended-range BrahMos on soon-to-be-commissioned des…

Firing of the Brahmos-ER. (Ministry of Defence, India)

India has carried out another test fire of its extended-range (ER) BrahMos PJ-10 supersonic cruise missile from a Kolkata/Visakhapatnam (Project 15A/15B)-class guided destroyer, the country's Ministry of Defence (MoD) disclosed on 27 November.

The missile was fired from the programme's sixth hull, which will be in service as INS Imphal once it is commissioned. It was fired as part of the vessel's pre-commissioning trials, the ministry added.

India's BrahMos PJ-10 is based on the Yakhont (3M-55E) supersonic cruise missile, which is the export version of Russia's domestic P-800 (3M-55) Oniks.

The weapon has been in service with the Indian Navy for more than a decade, and the ER variant of the BrahMos PJ-10 is believed to have a maximum range of in excess of 500 km, which is an improvement over the older variant's estimated range of about 300 km.

Besides the Project 15A/15B vessels, the BrahMos PJ-10 is also deployed from the service's Rajput-class destroyers and Talwar (Krivak III)-class Batch II frigates.

Meanwhile, Imphal was delivered to the Indian Navy by Mumbai-based shipbuilder Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in October 2023. The ship is scheduled to be commissioned in December 2023, said the defence ministry.

It has an overall length of approximately 164 m, an overall beam of approximately 18 m, and displaces around 7,200 tonnes at full load. The warship has a top speed of 32 kt and a standard range of 4,500 n mile at 18 kt.

Besides the BrahMos missiles, other indigenous components that have been incorporated on the destroyer include torpedo tubes and anti-submarine rocket launchers from Larsen & Toubro and 76 mm Super Rapid Gun Mounts from Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited.