The world is abuzz with news about the hypersonic version of the BrahMos cruise missile, known as BrahMos-II. The CEO of BrahMos Aerospace, Atul Rane, revealed that the missile is likely to have similar specifications to the Tsirkon missile, and that the "technology bricks" for a hypersonic missile have been designed by both sides. Rane also noted that while the media announced first flight trials for the missile in 2021 and later 2024, he believes it will take up to five or six years before trials take place.
Rane highlighted that the hypersonic version of the BrahMos missile will be very expensive and that it will only be produced for Russia and India. This is because India, as a party to the Missile Technology Control Regime, is allowed to develop missiles with a range of over 300 km and weight of over 500 kg, but cannot hand it over to third countries.
The BrahMos missile has been jointly developed by Russia's NPO Mashinostroyeniya and India's Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO). The first trial launch took place in 2001, and various versions of the missile have been commissioned to India's Navy, Air Force, and ground forces. The missile is named after the Brahmaputra River in India and the Moskva River in Russia.
Hypersonic cruise missiles are the future of warfare, and the whole world is working towards developing them. While Russia claims to have tested the Tsirkon missile, neither the US nor China has them yet. The development of the BrahMos-II missile is a significant step towards India's defense capabilities, and it will be exciting to see the first flight trials when they finally take place.
