Five BrahMos NG Missiles All Set To Be Integrated With Su-30MKI Fighters; LCA Tejas To Get Supersonic Missile First

Five missiles of the next-generation version of the BrahMos could be integrated with the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Sukhoi 30-MKI fighters, reports Financial Express. The BrahMos NG is a lighter version of the supersonic missile, and will first be integrated with the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas.

The move is expected to bolster the IAF’s future fighting capabilities against any threat from China or Pakistan. The standard BrahMos missile has a range of 300 km and can travel at speeds of up to 2.9 mach. However, the NG version is much faster, capable of reaching speeds of up to 3.5 mach.

“The new BrahMos NG missiles will provide future-ready air dominance to the Indian Air Force. The design and development of the BrahMos NG is being done by the DRDO,” stated CEO and MD of BrahMos Aerospace Dr Sudhir Mishra.

He explained that even though the BrahMos is a joint venture between India and Russia, the new BrahMos NG will, for the most part, be a ‘Make in India’ product.

Another advantage of the new version is that it will cost only half as much as the existing model. Being light-weight, the BrahMos NG will also be easier to adjust according to the weight carrying limitation of the LCA Tejas.

The new BraMos NG missile will provide the IAF teeth to particularly target enemy AWACS (Airborne Early Warning and Control System), refuelling and transport aircraft. The NG version will also be capable of being fitted on to submarines and torpedo tubes.