There’s a reason why rocket scientist Sivathanu Pillai likes to describe the BrahMos cruise missile
as the “Brahmastra for the Indian armed forces.” Although the
supersonic BrahMos is not quite in the same league as the weapon of Lord
Brahma, it is the most destructive cruise missile on Earth.
The
Indo-Russian BrahMos Aerospace has not only created a new benchmark in
cruise missile development, it has adopted the incremental or ‘ladder’
approach where more advanced – and innovative – versions of the missile
are constantly being designed, tested, produced for all branches of the
armed forces.
Currently, the navy and army field BrahMos in significant numbers. Pillai, who is the founder of BrahMos Aerospace, says
when the air force also inducts the ‘A’ (air launched) version, the
Brahmos will be a “war winner”. What he means is that when the three
services acquire the ability to rain down these missiles to destroy the
enemy’s assets first, it will be a force multiplier that will ensure a
quick victory.
Although capable of travelling at a blistering
Mach 3, the original BrahMos is a 3.6 ton behemoth. Even the
air-launched BrahMos-A weighs 2.5 tons, which means it can be carried
only by the largest Indian fighter – the Sukhoi Su-30MKI. However, newer
iterations will be smaller, faster and have longer ranges. The missile
is evolving not only with time but also in sync with the multiple needs
of a military as large as India’s.
BrahMos Extended Range
BrahMos started off with a 290 km range as Russia was bound by the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR),
which was created by the West in order to curb the spread of unmanned
delivery systems that could carry a payload of 500 kg for a distance of
300 km.
With BrahMos Aerospace declaring that it would go
ahead with developing a missile that would exceed the MTCR limit, and
with the West realising the futility of stopping it, India was co-opted
as a member.
MTCR or no MTCR, a 600 km range missile having
the ability to hit hardened targets with pinpoint accuracy is a reality.
India conducted the maiden test firing of the extended-range variant on
March 11, 2017. This missile will allow Indian warships to strike enemy
targets from greater standoff distances.
Flashback to October
2015 when Russian Navy missile boats anchored in the Caspian Sea
blasted Islamic State positions 1500 km away. Similarly, BrahMos
missiles fired from missile boats safe in the Gulf of Kutch or the
Indian port of Porbandar can comfortably reach the Pakistani cities of
Karachi and Hyderabad.
BrahMos II
Travelling
at hypersonic speeds (Mach 7 or higher), the BrahMos II would deliver
its warhead, assess the destruction, return to its launcher and get
ready to go again. This bold new missile is inspired by Lord Vishnu’s
Sudharshan Chakra – a spiked metallic wheel that destroys its target and
returns to its owner. "It is our dream to make the best weapon,”
says
Pillai. “Our mythology has given us a lot of inputs. (There is) only
one weapon (that) destroys the enemy and comes back, and that is
Sudarshan Chakra.”
The missile is under development and is likely to be deployed in the early part of the 2020s.
BrahMos NG
This
is BrahMos Lite. At just 1.4 tons, and with a proportionately lower
range of around 120 km, the NG version will be light enough to be
carried by the indigenously built Tejas aircraft. The missile is still
on the drawing board and the company is talking to various users.
According to Sudhir Kumar Mishra, CEO and MD of BrahMos Aerospace, “The
idea is to mass produce the missile so that we can integrate it on a
variety of platforms. It is a new business initiative and we see a huge
market for it in India and abroad,” he said.
Although the
Indian Air Force (IAF) may not relish the idea of arming the Sukhois
with such a short range missile (which could bring the Su-30 within
range of anti-aircraft defences), the NG version could suit deep
penetration strike aircraft such as the Jaguar and MiG-27 providing air
cover to an Indian armoured thrust. Alternatively, these missiles could
be forward deployed, offering field commanders a weapon they can use to
take out the enemy’s battlefield command and communication centres or
armour concentrations.
Aviation Week suggests the re-sized missile will be capable of
withstanding aircraft carrier deck landings. Carrier-based MiG-29s could
carry up to three of these pocket rockets.
Salvo mode
When
rockets are fired in salvo made it ensures that nothing is left to
chance and the destruction is complete. In 2014, the BrahMos was
successfully fired in salvo mode from the Russian-built frigate INS
Trikand off India’s west coast. This means eight cruise missiles can be
volley fired at an individual enemy element.
Possible use of
salvo mode can be against a large target – such as a destroyer or
aircraft carrier at seas. The cost factor plays a key role here. Firing
eight BrahMos missiles would only make good economics if the intention
is to take out a large task force, coastal radar battery or fuel tanker
farm.
Exports
Despite having a
large defence industrial base, India does not count among the top 20
arms exporters. With the BrahMos, New Delhi can finally make a mark on
the weapons market. Considering that it is the only supersonic cruise
missile in the world, there should be no dearth of buyers for it.
However, customers need to be chosen with discretion to ensure that the
missile does not end up in the wrong hands.
Foreign sales can
also yield dividends that are more valuable than cash. Exports are a
force multiplier because they tie the seller and buyer in a long-term
geopolitical embrace. This may eventually translate into further
military sales. When India acquired the MiG-21 from Russia in 1965,
nearly 100 per cent of its advanced weapons were of British or western
origin. A decade later over 80 per cent of its weapons was from Russia.
BrahMos
can also be a useful bargaining tool against China. For instance, by
supplying the missile to Vietnam, India can show Beijing that two can
play the game. If China provides high-end weapons to Pakistan, then
India can offer advanced BrahMos missiles to Vietnam. The missile could
therefore play a useful role in keeping high-end weapons from being sold
to Islamabad.
rbth(rakesh sinha)
