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BrahMos

Context :

  • While the Philippines signed a $375 million deal for BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles last week to be operated by the Philippines Marines, there is another long-pending deal under discussion for BrahMos missiles for the Philippines Army, which could see progress in the near future, according to defense and diplomatic sources.

About BrahMos:

  • BrahMos is a joint venture between the Defense Research and Development Organization 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) missile.
  • It is a multiplatform missile 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 nearly 3 times more than the speed of sound.

Background:

  • In an ironic situation, while India has signed its biggest defense export contract with the Philippines, it does not have a full-fledged Defense Attaché (DA) at its embassy in Manila.
  • The proposal for increasing the number of DAs at several Indian missions abroad, including the Philippines, has been pending for some time, at least two officials independently said.
  • Earlier, in 2019 the PA had activated its first land-based missile unit under the its Army Artillery Regiment in preparation to induct the BrahMos.
  • In the absence of a full-fledged DA at the embassy in Manila, the DA at the Indian mission in Singapore currently functions as a non-resident DA to the Philippines.
Features
  • Brahmos is the heaviest weapon to be deployed on Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft, with a weight of 2.5 tonnes.
  • 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.
Source: THE HINDU.