Brahmos Missile

About Brahmos Missile:

• It is a supersonic cruise missile.
• It is a joint venture between the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) of India and NPOM of Russia. 
• It is named after the rivers Brahmaputra and Moskva.
• Features:
  • It is a two-stage missile with a solid propellant engine in the first stage and a liquid ramjet in the second.
  • The system has been designed with two variants for Anti-Ship and Land-Attack roles. 
  • Brahmos is one of the fastest cruise missiles currently operationally deployed with the speed of Mach 2.8, which is nearly 3 times more than the speed of sound.
  • It has a launch weight of 2,200-3,000 kg.
  • It operates on the “Fire and Forgets” principle, adopting varieties of flights on its way to the target.
  • BrahMos is equipped with stealth technology designed to make it less visible to radar and other detection methods.
  • It has an inertial navigation system (INS) for use against ship targets, and an INS/Global Positioning System for use against land targets.

Q1) What are Cruise Missiles?

Cruise missiles, although similar to ballistic missiles in some regards, provide an alternate means to deliver a lethal payload rapidly and accurately to a target. Cruise missiles differ from ballistic missiles in that they fly towards their target at lower altitudes, remaining within the Earth’s atmosphere throughout their trajectory. Cruise missiles are defined as “an unmanned self-propelled guided vehicle that sustains flight through aerodynamic lift for most of its flight path and whose primary mission is to place an ordnance or special payload on a target.”

Source: Philippine Army Explores BrahMos Missile Deal With India To Strengthen Maritime Defence