New Delhi: In a much-awaited development, the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was tested onboard Indian Air Force's (IAF) Sukhoi- 30 MKI aircraft off the Bay of Bengal on Wednesday. The successful testing of the missile puts India in a strategically dominant position, given the reach of India's multi-role Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jets and the accuracy of nuclear-capable BrahMos missile India has been jointly developing with Russia.

Read: BrahMos on Sukhoi: Why is it so important?



"Brahmos, the world’s fastest supersonic cruise missile created history on 22nd Nov 2017 after it was successfully flight-tested first time from the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) frontline fighter aircraft Sukhoi-30MKI against a sea-based target in the Bay of Bengal. The missile was gravity-dropped from the Su-30 from the fuselage, and the two-stage missile’s engine fired up and straightway propelled towards the intended target at the sea in the Bay of Bengal," a press release by the Ministry of Defence said.

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Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman congratulated the DRDO on its significant achievement in the development of the missile.

Also read: India to arm Sukhoi fighters with BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles; first test this week

The successful maiden test firing of Brahmos Air Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM) from Su-30MKI is crucial given that it will significantly bolster the IAF’s air combat operations capability from stand-off ranges.

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Brahmos ALCM weighing 2.5 ton is the heaviest weapon to be deployed on India’s Su-30 fighter aircraft modified by HAL to carry weapons. Brahmos, the world-class weapon with multi-platform, multi-mission role is now capable of being launched from Land, Sea and Air, completing the tactical cruise missile triad for India. Brahmos is a joint venture between DRDO of India and NPOM of Russia.

The successful test of the nuclear-capable missile onboard a potent supersonic platform such as the Sukhoi- 30 MKI also comes at a time when international community including Vietnam and South Korea have expressed interest in purchasing the BrahMos missile system from India. The test thus makes for a case in exports, for which India would need a go-ahead from Russia.

Experts cite that the maneuvrability of Sukhoi-30 MKI along with the accuracy of the missile that has a range of about 300 km can help India strike deep inside the enemy territory with great accuracy. The test has thus brought strategically important points deep within Pakistan as well as China within the IAF's reach.