The BrahMos supersonic multi-role cruise missile (MRCM) being co-produced by BrahMos Aerospace Ltd, a Russia-India joint venture company, continues to evolve in terms of its versatility and on March 5 this year a ship-to-shore land attack variant of this missile was test-fired (this being the missile’s 15th successful firing) from INS Rajput’s inclined launcher and it scored a direct hit against a designated target located in one of the islands of India’s Andaman & Nicobar Island chain. And on December 18, the Indian Navy’s (IN) second Kashin II-class guided-missile destroyer (DDG) to be equipped with the BrahMos (including four forward-mounted in inclined position and eight stern-mounted vertically-launched missiles) conducted the first successful vertical launch of the MRCM in the Bay of Bengal. Consequently, the BrahMos MRCM is now operational as an anti-ship cruise missile, and well as a land attack missile launched from both warships and ground-based mobile autonomous launchers (MAL).
The Indian Army (IA) on June 21 last year officially received its first Battery of the BrahMos MRCM in the presence of Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, the then President and Commander-in-Chief of India’s armed forces; Defence Minister Arakkaparambil Kurian Antony; and Gen Joginder Jaswant Singh, the then Chief of the Army Staff and Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee. In all, the IA will possess a total of some 250 land-attack variants of the BrahMos MRCMs, including war wastage reserves, by 2017. It was on February 3, 2005 that the Government of India’s Cabinet Committee on National Security had approved the IA’s plans to raise the first of three Regiments of the BrahMos’ MRCM as part of the 40th and 41st Artillery Divisions in the 10th and 11th Five-Year Plan periods (2002-2007 and 2008-2013). Each Battery comprises three Batteries each comprising four MALs, a Mobile Command Post (MCP), a Fixed Command Centre, four replenishment vehicles and three maintenance support vehicles. Each MAL carries three vertically-launched BrahMos missiles, and covers a frontage of 600km. The missile launcher’s launch beam is articulated to make the launch cannisters vertical through a high-pressure hydraulic system controlled by an electronic controller. The COTS-based launcher control system (LCS) functions in coordination with the MCP-mounted fire-control system (FCS) and a mast-mounted millimeter-wave line-of-sight secure communications system. Each MAL has a containerised power supply system consisting of 40kVA diesel generating set and 40kVA PTO alternator, a 2 x 7.5kVA single-phase UPS with integral battery bank for 15 minutes back-up power generation, and a 5kVA single-phase diesel generator.
The IA will use the BrahMos MRCM to decisively shape and influence the deep battlespace. The missile flies at a cruising speed of Mach 2.8 (to be increased in future to Mach 7), has zero circular error probability, is equipped with a long-range imaging infra-red seeker or an optional active radar seeker with built-in electronic counter-countermeasures features, and can take out mobile or stationary targets on land and in the high seas 290km away. It is 9 metres tall, weighs three metric tonnes, and carries a conventional 300kg warhead with 90kg TNT content. It has two stages—a solid propellant booster stage, and a ramjet-powered second stage using liquid propellant. Compared to existing subsonic cruise missiles, the BrahMos is superior by a factor of 3 in terms of velocity, 3 times better in flight range, 4 times better in terms of seeker range, and 9 times superior in terms of kill energy. Billed as a weapon unleashing technological asymmetry in the battlespace, this MRCM is capable of tilting the balance of war in favour of the possessor who can use it imaginatively and decisively. Under its new warfighting doctrine, the IA plans to wage a series of ‘knowledge-based’ deep battles by denying hostile ground forces the ability to employ their forces and assets not yet engaged at the time, place, or in the strength of their choice. Operating in a network-centric environment, the IA will use the BrahMos MRCM to hit the enemy as deep in his own territory as possible. The depth of these strikes will mostly range in excess of 150km from the Forward Edge of Battle Area. In order to fully optimise the BrahMos MRCM’s operational parameters and ensure synchronised battlespace management in a network-centric warfare environment, the Army is now in the process of fielding the indigenous Command-level Battlespace Surveillance System; Corps-level ‘Shakti’ Artillery Command, Control & Communications System; Command Information Decision Support System (CIDSS) and its related Division-level Force Multiplier Command Post (FMCP) and Brigade-level Mobile Communications Terminal (MCT); all of which will be used for target acquisition, designation and engagement under near-real-time conditions by the BrahMos MRCM. The ‘Shakti’, CIDSS and FMCP will all employ secure tactical data links to receive data and imagery from not only medium-altitude long-endurance and high-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), but also airborne ISTAR aircraft and space-based assets like synthetic aperture radar-equipped imaging satellites. This in turn will enable a single BrahMos Regiment to launch 36 MRCMs to successfully engage critical targets with pinpoint accuracy within a matter of seconds. Each missile can be pre-programmed to fly multiple flight trajectories through up to eight waypoints permitting turns up to 80º, traverse any type of terrain from sea-level to high altitude, and engage targets whether on forward or reverse slopes of mountains and valleys. The IA will consequently possess all the key attributes--knowledge, speed, precision end-game targeting solutions, and lethality—that are required for engaging in full-spectrum, knowledge-based joint warfare in a network-centric battlespace environment.
It was on February 12, 1998 that BrahMos Aerospace, an India-Russia joint venture company, was created for developing a multi-role, supersonic MRCM capable of being launched from principal surface combatants, submarines, ground-based mobile launchers, multi-role combat aircraft and maritime patrol/ASW aircraft, has achieved significant developmental milestones over the past nine years. The first test-flight of the BrahMos MRCM occurred on June 12, 2001 and the second followed on April 28, 2002, both from fixed on-shore launchers. The third test-flight was conducted on February 12, 2003 from INS Rajput, a Project 61ME Kashin II-class DDG of the (IN), while the fourth took place on October 29, 2003 from a fixed on-shore launcher. The fifth test-firing was conducted on November 9, 2003 from a wheeled, road-mobile launcher. The sixth test-firing on November 23, 2003 was from INS Rajput, and a seventh test-firing took place on June 13, 2004, from a road-mobile launcher. The eighth test was conducted on November 3, 2004, again from INS Rajput.
For series-producing the MRCM, the sprawling BrahMos Integration Complex (BIC) in Hyderabad was commissioned in early 2004. The BIC today contains dedicated facilities such as standby generators; compressed air facility; inward inspection block; storage facilities for mechanical, electrical and electronic systems, bonded stores fuel filling area, magazine storage areas for propulsion systems and explosive devices, ultrasonic testing and sub-system test facilities, machining shop, and precision co-curing/autoclave facilities. BrahMos Aerospace has created a consortium of 20 Indian and 30 Russian industries since 2002 to undertake production of the MRCM’s intricate precision components and subassemblies, which number more than 2,000. The Indian companies include private and public sector companies, such as Larsen & Toubro, Godrej & Boyce, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, Bharat Earth Movers Ltd, and Electronics Corp of India Ltd. While the Indian firms are providing the MRCM’s airframe, launch tubes, wheeled MALs and MCPs, digitised inertial navigation and flight control systems, fire-control system, imaging infra-red seeker, secure two-way data links, and mission software, Russian companies like NPO Mashinostroyenia and GRANIT Central Scientific Research Institute are providing the liquid-fuel ramjet engine, and the SGH active radar seeker for the missile’s anti-ship variant. All these components and sub-systems are finally installed and integrated at the BIC. In April 2004, Brahmos Aerospace tied up with Russia’s Rosoboronexport State Corp to globally market the BrahMos family of MRCMs. The agreement on joint export promotion of the BrahMos family of MRCMs missile was inked by Andrey Beliyaninov—the then Director General of Rosoboronexport; Professor Dr Herbert Yefremov, Director-General of NPO Mashinostroyeniya; and Dr A Sivathanu Pillai, CEO and Managing Director of Brahmos Aerospace.
The first production version of the land-based surface-to-surface variant of the BrahMos MRCM was successfully test-fired on June 13, 2004 from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur-on-Sea in Orissa State, facing the Bay of Bengal. This was followed by the second launch of the same variant of BrahMos on November 21, 2004 at the Mahajan test range in Pokhran, Rajasthan. The third test-firing of the MRCM—a variant for the Army—took place on November 30, 2005 from the ITR, while the fourth and test-firing (the 14th for the BrahMos) took place from the same site on April 22 last year. BrahMos Aerospace received the required financial allocations in December 2005 to begin R & D work on developing an air-launched variant of the missile. This variant will weigh about 2.5 tonnes, incorporate a smaller rocket booster, and have additional control fins for stability during launch. Meanwhile, an integrated team of experts for doing weapons qualification-related engineering work has been sourced from the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Bangalore-based Aircraft & Systems Testing Establishment, BrahMos Aerospace, DRDO’s Centre for Military Airworthiness & Certification and the Bangalore-based Defence Avionics Research Establishment, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd and Sukhoi Experimental Design Bureau to jointly develop the airborne weapons management system and related launch control system required for enabling the Su-30MKI Mk3 heavy multi-role combat aircraft to carry a solitary BrahMos in the centerline belly-mounted pylon plus an additional two missiles—one under each wing. The IAF intends to order 60 air-launched, land-attack/maritime strike BrahMos MRCMs between 2008 and 2013. The IN too intends to arm its yet-to-be-acquired new-generation maritime patrol/ASW aircraft as well as its existing eight Tu-142M long-range MP/ASW platforms with the air-launched BrahMos.
R & D efforts are also underway now to qualify the BrahMos in a modular, vertically launched configuration on board platforms like the Amur 1650 and Type 636 diesel-electric submarines (SSK). The SSKs will be able to carry eight BrahMos missiles contained within a vertical launch system (VLS). IN vessels to be armed in future with the BrahMos MRCM include the three follow-on Project 1135.6 guided-missile frigates (FFG) that were ordered in July 2006 and which will be delivered between 2010 and 2012 by Russia’s Kaliningrad-based Yantar Shipyard JSC (these will each have eight BrahMos MRCMs on a single eight-cell vertical launch system, or VLS), the three Project 15A Kolkata-class DDGs (now being built by Mumbai-based Mazagon Docks Ltd or MDL, for delivery between 2009 and 2012) each of which will have a VLS containing 16 BrahMos MRCMs, and the seven MDL-built Project 17A FFGs each of which will have a 16-cell VLS. In addition, the already concluded development of both inclined quad missile launchers and the modular VLS launch concept by BrahMos Aerospace for naval applications will significantly boost the missile’s export prospects, since a variety of both existing and projected warships will be able to house such launchers with minimal structural modifications. In 2005, the IN made good its promise to be the country’s first of the three armed services to induct the BrahMos into operational service. The induction process began in February 2005, with INS Rajput being the IN’s first warship to be equipped with the BrahMos. By the year’s end, this DDG was retrofitted with another twin 2-tube launchers, resulting in a total of eight BrahMos missiles being carried on board. The IN had by late 2005 placed firm orders for 18 BrahMos MRCMs. On July 27, 2006 the IN formally declared operational the warship-launched BrahMos MRCMs at INS Kalinga, the Navy’s principal naval base at Visakhapatnam. The IN has to date installed BrahMos MRCMs on INS Rajput, (four in canisters inclined at 15° and another eight in vertical launchers fabricated by Larsen & Toubro in the stern adjacent to the helicopter deck), while two more such DDGs--INS Ranvir and INS Ran Vijay--are now being armed with similar inclined and vertical launchers. INS Ranvir was upgraded by December 2006, with INS Ran Vijay following this December. Thus, in all the IN will have 256 BrahMos operational MRCMs by 2015 on board 16 principal surface combatants. The missiles on board are capable of both maritime strike and land attack.
For potential export customers requiring inclined missile launchers, BrahMos Aerospace has developed a modular package comprising the following:
Base Structure, which forms the interface between the launcher structure and the warship’s deck structure and is welded to the ship deck in longitudinal direction at an angle of 4° to the horizontal.
Launcher Structure, a welded lattice structure constructed out of box sections. It has eight support pads bolted permanently to the base structure. This structure has clamping arrangements at three places corresponding to third, fifth and seventh supports of the missile canister. The clamp assemblies are in two halves. The bottom halves are permanently bolted to the launcher structure whereas the top halves are removable. This structure supports two missile cannisters. An optical measuring element has been provided on the structure to measure the alignment of the canister with respect to the warship’s axes.
Thrust Bearing Structure (TBS), which is welded to the top deck of the warship and its base structure with proper alignment. This structure transfers the launching loads to the warship’s deck.
Bottom Resting Unit (BRU), which comprises two parts--cylindrical shell and dish end. The cylindrical shell comprises the cannister with electrical connectors connected to the cannister. The dish end is bolted with the cylindrical shell. The BRU rests against the TBS on the launcher.
Cannister Loading Supports, which are required during the loading of the missile cannister on to the launcher when the sea is having moderate movements. While loading, the cannister is first placed on these loading supports. The assembly is then transferred to the clamp assembly by lowering the loading supports and moving back until the cannister is positioned and the locating pin matches perfectly.
Loading Gear, which comprises two main units--lifting beam and its accessories, and a hydraulic power pack. The lifting beam is designed for tilting the missile cannister in air in any desired angle in the range of 0° to 20°. It handles the cannister by holding it at the handling supports. A hydraulically-driven screw in the lifting beam is used to tilt the missile cannister to the desired angle with the help of hydraulic power pack. The lifting beam is designed to handle the cannister, weighing up to 4.5 tonnes, including the BRU’s weight.
