Brahmos Missile Fails During Testfiring, Falls Shortly After Takeoff

In a rare instance, the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile failed during a testfiring being carried out off the coast of Odisha on Monday and fell shortly after takeoff. The extended range version of the missile was being tested which is capable of hitting targets up to 450 kilometres. “The missile fell off very shortly after the launch this morning. The reasons for the failure would be analysed by a joint team of scientists from the Defence Research and Development Organisation and BrahMos aerospace corporation,” sources told ANI here.

BrahMos has been a very reliable missile and has failed very rarely during tests. Sources said prima facie it seems that the missile failed due to issues with the propulsion system but the exact cause would be known only after complete test analysis. BrahMos supersonic cruise missile earlier was used for below 300 km targets but would now be used for striking at longer ranges with supersonic speeds.

Notably, a number of other versions of the supersonic cruise missile were earlier developed by BrahMos Aerospace under joint ventures between the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) of India and NPO Mashinostroeyenia (NPOM) of Russia. The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile range derived its name from two rivers, the Brahmaputra in India and the Moskva in Russia.