To crush China’s aggression and Pakistan’s proxy war from Eastern Ladakh to the Indian Ocean, India has prepared the manufacturing roadmap of its most infallible weapon. ‘BrahMos Aerospace’, the world’s most lethal supersonic cruise missile manufacturing company, is now working on developing a new variant of the BrahMos missile with a range of 1,500 km.
Recently, the company’s CEO and Managing Director Dr. Jayateertha Raghavendra Joshi has given information about this very sensitive and strategic project. This upgrade will not only increase India’s strategic strength manifold on both fronts, but also has the potential to completely destroy China’s ‘Anti-Access/Area Denial’ (A2/AD) defense system.
Strategic equation, China and Pakistan in India’s mind
This new range of 1500 kilometers will completely change India’s ‘deep-strike’ i.e. its ability to cause destruction by penetrating deep inside the enemy’s territory. This new variant will prove to be a fate for both the traditional rivals.
Answer to China’s tactics: At present, many of China’s important military bases, airbases in Tibet and missile launch pads in Xinjiang are at a safe distance close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC). But after having a range of 1,500 km, the Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jets of the Indian Air Force will be able to destroy the deep strategic bases and logistics centers of the Chinese mainland while remaining in the Indian airspace.
Pakistan’s terrorist plans destroyed: With this range, the entire geography of Pakistan i.e. from Gwadar Port to Islamabad and Quaid-e-Azam Airbase will come under the direct attack of Indian Navy’s warships and Army’s Mobile Autonomous Launchers (MAL).
Impossible to intercept: BrahMos will maintain its signature speed of Mach 2.8 (almost three times faster than sound) even while covering a distance of 1500 kilometers. China’s own HQ-9 air defense system will also fail to track and intercept the missile coming at such a high speed.
Indian defense manufacturing becomes a gamechanger
The real power of this missile is not coming from any outside country, but from India’s own manufacturing strength. After India joined the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) in 2016, the shackles of foreign restrictions were broken and Indian engineers began complete indigenization of its design and manufacturing.
To achieve a range of 1500 km, the biggest challenge before the engineers is to keep the weight of the missile low and increase the firepower of the engine. For this, the Indian manufacturing sector is working on the following technologies:
Advanced indigenous composite: Manufacturing of lighter and stronger carbon composite instead of heavy metals, which will reduce the weight of the missile significantly.
Ramjet engine upgrade: The fuel efficiency and combustion process of the liquid ramjet engine is being re-engineered in Indian labs.
100% indigenous booster: Recently, the 100th completely indigenous solid propellant booster manufactured by Indian private company Solar Defense was inducted into the Army in Nagpur, ending Russian dependence.
India v/s China… Battle of Manufacturing Hub Till now China considered itself the only defense manufacturing hub in Asia, but this variant of BrahMos, BrahMos-NG (Next Generation) has increased the concerns of Beijing. India is not only manufacturing them for its own armies, but is also targeting China in its own language by exporting them to South China Sea countries like the Philippines.
Features of BrahMos-NG variant:
Maximum firepower: Earlier due to MTCR restrictions the range was only 290 km, now it is 800 km and the target is to reach 1,500 km (proposed) in future.
Indigenization of Missile: Initially the indigenous component was only around 50% (warhead and booster imported from Russia), which has now increased to more than 75%, with the booster, airframe and seeker being completely Indian made.
Speed and Engine: Earlier it was based on supersonic speed of Mach 2.8 and ramjet engine, whereas in the future BrahMos-II project, it is being prepared to give it hypersonic speed of Mach 8 with scramjet engine.
This manufacturing roadmap of BrahMos with 1500 km range will strengthen the strategy of ‘Shock and Awe’ on both the borders of India, due to which Beijing and Rawalpindi will think a hundred times before taking any action against India.
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