An Indian Air Force Sukhoi Su-30 MKI fighter successfully carried out maiden captive flight test of a air-launched variant of BrahMos super...
An Indian Air Force Sukhoi Su-30 MKI fighter successfully carried out maiden captive flight test of a air-launched variant of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile on Saturday.
The 45 minutes flight was flown by Wg. Cdr. Prashant Nair and Wg Cdr M S Raju and validated the integration and safe carriage of the heavy missile.
The maiden flight will be followed by series of test flights to evaluate the performance of the aircraft with the heavy missile, ahead of maiden air launch test by the year end.
The Su-30 MKI airframe was strengthened to carry the 2.5 tonne missile by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd's Nashik Division and the required data was generated without the assistance of Sukhoi.
The missile was integrated in between the two air intakes under a strengthened fuselage hardpoint . CFD analysis was carried to ascertain the 8 meter long and .7 meter diameter missile protruding ahead of air intakes did not affect air flow into the engine air intakes.
The integration will enhance IAF's deep strike capability as the missile can engage heavily defended enemy targets from a standoff distance of 290 km, keeping the pilots safe.
The Mach 3 capable missile reaches its target within minutes and is virtually immune to present day air defense systems.
The BrahMos cruise missile was developed by Indo-Russian joint venture as an anti-ship missile based on the Russian P-800 Yakhont and entered service with Indian Navy ships in 2005. Later a land attack variant for Indian Army was developed and inducted. A submarine launched canisterised variant was also successfully tested from a submerged platform in 2013.
Unlike the surface launched version, the air-launched BrahMos is lighter by 500 kg due to a smaller rocket booster and have additional fins for airborne stability.
The missile can be released from heights ranging from 500 to 14,000 meters, after which it free falls for 100-150 meters, before igniting the booster for cruise phase at 14,000 meters and finally the terminal phase at 15 meters.
Around 40 of IAF' eventual fleet of 272 Su-30 MKIs will be modified to carry the BrahMos, making the IAF the only air force in the world to posses an air launched supersonic cruise missile.
The 45 minutes flight was flown by Wg. Cdr. Prashant Nair and Wg Cdr M S Raju and validated the integration and safe carriage of the heavy missile.
The maiden flight will be followed by series of test flights to evaluate the performance of the aircraft with the heavy missile, ahead of maiden air launch test by the year end.
The Su-30 MKI airframe was strengthened to carry the 2.5 tonne missile by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd's Nashik Division and the required data was generated without the assistance of Sukhoi.
The integration will enhance IAF's deep strike capability as the missile can engage heavily defended enemy targets from a standoff distance of 290 km, keeping the pilots safe.
The Mach 3 capable missile reaches its target within minutes and is virtually immune to present day air defense systems.
The BrahMos cruise missile was developed by Indo-Russian joint venture as an anti-ship missile based on the Russian P-800 Yakhont and entered service with Indian Navy ships in 2005. Later a land attack variant for Indian Army was developed and inducted. A submarine launched canisterised variant was also successfully tested from a submerged platform in 2013.
Unlike the surface launched version, the air-launched BrahMos is lighter by 500 kg due to a smaller rocket booster and have additional fins for airborne stability.
The missile can be released from heights ranging from 500 to 14,000 meters, after which it free falls for 100-150 meters, before igniting the booster for cruise phase at 14,000 meters and finally the terminal phase at 15 meters.
Around 40 of IAF' eventual fleet of 272 Su-30 MKIs will be modified to carry the BrahMos, making the IAF the only air force in the world to posses an air launched supersonic cruise missile.
