The deadly BrahMos missile was test-fired today from a Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jet.

NEW DELHI: The deadly BrahMos supersonic cruise missile today became a deep surgical-strike missile after it was tested for the first time from a Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jet.

The "marriage" between the fighter jet - which has a cruising range of 3,200-km - and the Brahmos is expected to be "a deadly combination", defence sources said. The world-class weapon with a multi-platform, multi-mission role is now capable of being launched from land, sea and air. For India, that completes its tactical cruise missile triad.

For the test, today, the missile was gravity dropped from the Su-30 fuselage.The two-stage missile's engine then fired up and immediately propelled towards the sea-based target in the Bay of Bengal .

The sleek BrahMos supersonic cruise missile is the world's fastest one of its kind. It flies almost three times the speed of sound at Mach 2.8.The successful maiden test firing will significantly bolster the IAF ’s air combat operations capability from stand-off ranges.

Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman congratulated the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as well as BrahMos for the successful test. Brahmos is a joint venture between DRDO of India and NPOM of Russia.

Sources told TOI earlier this week that 42 Sukhoi fighters will eventually be armed with BrahMos missiles once the air-launched missiles have undergone a battery of successful tests. The IAF has until now inducted 240 of the 272 twin-seat Sukhois contracted from Russia for over $12 billion, with the bulk of them being licenced and produced by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd .

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In Video: Deadly BrahMos test-fired from Sukhoi-30MKI, becomes deep surgical-strike missile