India successfully test-fires "BrahMos" missile
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
New Delhi, Dec 2, IRNA -- India on Thursday successfully test-fired the 290-km range BrahMos cruise missile from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur off the Orissa coast.
The supersonic cruise missile with precision strike capability was test-fired from a mobile launcher today morning from the launch pad of the ITR, pti reported quoting defence sources said.
'The trial was successful,' they said.
The missile, which can fly at 2.8 times the speed of sound, is capable of carrying conventional warheads up to 300 kg for a range of 290 km. The missile can effectively engage ground targets from an altitude as low as 10 meters, they said.
The 8.4 meter-long missile is a two-stage vehicle that has a solid propellant booster and a liquid propellant ram-jet system.
The Balasore district administration, on the advice of defence authorities, had temporarily shifted 3,220 persons belonging to 401 families residing within two km radius of the launch pad to two nearby shelter centres as a safety measures during the missile test.
BrahMos is capable of being launched from multiple platforms like submarine, ship, aircraft and land based Mobile Autonomous Launchers (MAL).
BrahMos can potentially be used for 'surgical strikes' at terror training camps across the border without causing collateral damage, the sources said.
The first flight test of BrahMos missile was conducted on 12th June, 2001 at the Integrated Test Range and the last was successfully carried out on 5th September, 2010 from the same place.
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