By Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR: Supersonic cruise missile BrahMos reportedly failed to provide desired results during an experimental launch from a defence base off Odisha coast on Tuesday. The ‘failure’ came after a series of successful developmental and user trials of the missile from all three platforms - land, ship and aircraft.

A joint venture of India and Russia, the land version of the missile was test-fired from an inclined launcher at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur-on-sea during noon. “The missile did not cover the intended distance. It deviated from the trajectory and plunged into the sea after covering a distance of less than 10 km,” reliable sources told ‘The Express’.

The mission aimed at evaluating some of the newer subsystems manufactured by Indian industries as part of production stabilisation. However, the cause of failure was not immediately known. Defence authorities, however, claimed that the mission was successful. It was an experimental trial of the BrahMos land version and several parameters were validated, said an official on condition of anonymity. He denied to divulge details.