Sukhoi-30 MKI Equipped with the BrahMos Missile | 21 Jan 2020

A squadron of fourth-generation fighter jets Sukhoi-30 MKI equipped with the BrahMos missile was inducted in the Southern Air Command, Thanjavur.

The induction will help India to maintain its air and maritime dominance in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
Sukhoi 30 jets have been modified to carry BrahMos air-to-surface missiles giving them the capacity to conduct long-range precision strikes.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and BAPL (BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd) in 2014 signed a contract to modify two Su-30 MKI aircraft for integrating with the missile.
It was for the first time in the world that such a heavyweight missile was integrated on a fighter aircraft.
All weather Brahmos gives the Sukhois a combat radius of almost 1,500 km without mid-air refuelling.
Brahmos is the heaviest weapon to be deployed on Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft, with a weight of 2.5 tonnes.

BrahMos missile is a supersonic cruise missile which features Indian propulsion system, airframe, power supply, and other major indigenous components.
BrahMos is a joint venture between the Defence Research and Development Organisation of India (DRDO) and the NPOM of Russia.
- Brahmos is named on the rivers Brahmaputra and Moskva.
It is a two-stage (solid propellant engine in the first stage and liquid ramjet in second) air to surface missile with a flight range of around 300 km.
- However, India's entry into the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) has extended the range of the BrahMos missile to reach 450 km-600km.
Brahmos is a multiplatform i.e it can be launched from land, air, and sea and multi capability missile with pinpoint accuracy that works in both day and night irrespective of the weather conditions.
It operates on the "Fire and Forgets" principle i.e it does not require further guidance after launch.
Brahmos is one of the fastest cruise missile currently operationally deployed with speed of Mach 2.8, which is 3 times more than the speed of sound.