Preparations on for super-sonic BrahMos testfiring

[faithfulguy]

Just curious , is it cold launched off the canister?

 

[Dash]

A terrain hugging missile to be supersonic will be extremely complex in terms of guidance and avoiding obstacles at such high speeds -- the missile should be capable of sudden maneuvers capable of evading any obstacles. Brahmos in this case is not capable of doing this. Hope this helps.

Brahmos can do manuevers, but not like a subsonic terrain hugging missile but it can still do manuevers...

 

[gambit]

There are two modes of terrain related maneuvers: following and avoidance.

- Terrain Following (TF): This is where the aircraft will follow the contour of the terrain in front of its heading regardless of altitude. In other words, regardless if one hill is 100 meters and the next is obstacle is 1000 meters tall, the aircraft will fly OVER it.

- Terrain Avoidance (TA): This is where the aircraft will follow the contour of the terrain in front of its heading but will be altitude limited. In other words, if the aircraft is not allowed to rise above 500 meters in altitude and if its radar detect a hill whose top is above 500 meters, the aircraft must negotiate a course AROUND this obstacle.

Terrain Avoidance (TA) is much more complex in terms of sensors, navigation, and flight control commands. Here are the reasons why:

1- Radar information rate. The greater the aircraft's speed, and since the mission require the aircraft to potentially be below some terrain features, the greater the need for sufficient 'ahead' terrain radar information rate so that flight control system can reasonably preset the next maneuver, either to fly over the obstacle or to deviate from the current heading.

2- Guidance method. American laser guided munitions employs 'bang-bang' guidance...

Laser Guided Bombs - Smart Weapons

All LGB weapons have a CCG, a warhead (bomb body with fuze), and an airfoil group. The computer section transmits directional command signals to the appropriate pair(s) of canards. The guidance canards are attached to each quadrant of the control unit to change the flightpath of the weapon. The canard deflections are always full scale (referred to as "bang, bang" guidance).

What 'bang-bang' guidance does is to deflect the bomb's flight control surfaces to its maximum travel limits at maximum deflection rate in order to alter the bomb's travel path as quick as possible, often because of the bomb's travel time from release to impact. To avoid impact with a terrain feature in horizontal flight is really no different in principle except the execution is in reverse. The bomb 'bang' its flight control surfaces to orient itself to a point on the ground. A cruise missile 'bang' its flight control surfaces to avoid hitting a hill.

3- Radar operation. First...The difference between altitude versus elevation. Altitude is usually a point ABOVE the surface of the Earth, for example, the airliner is flying at 30,000 ft altitude. Elevation is a bit more confusing. Elevation is a reference point ON a surface that is above the Earth, for example, the city of Denver in the US state of Colorado is...

Denver - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Denver is nicknamed the "Mile-High City" because its elevation is one mile, or 5,280 feet (1,609 m) above sea level.

The city of Denver is at an altitude of 1,609 meters above sea level. Or that the city is 'elevated' to that height.

In terrain avoidance (TA) flight, radar information must find the obstacle's elevation, compare that figure against the missile's current altitude, and contrast that against the 'forbidden' maximum altitude. If the obstacle's elevation is lower than current flight altitude, the missile could fly over this terrain feature at its current altitude. If the obstacle's elevation is higher than current altitude and is higher than the maximum allowable flight altitude, then the missile must calculate a new heading while remembering its original one and return to it. Is the missile supposed to deviate left or right? How close is the missile supposed to approach the obstacle before making said deviation? In making a deviation and maintaining an altitude above the ground, the missile is now entering terrain following (TF) flight, an additional complication to the FLCS navigation algorithms. Then once a decision is made -- BANG -- goes the flight control surfaces to execute the maneuver.

This is why the US spent a lot of money on custom mapping the world topographically, paying extra attention on terrain features of potential adversaries. In effect, our subsonic cruise missiles have foreknowledge of the terrain, making bang-bang guidance unnecessary, course deviations are more fuel and range efficient because unplanned maneuvers costs fuel and adversely affect range. Bang-bang guidance is also much more stressful on the missile's body. Such terrain foreknowledge allow our subsonic cruise missiles to fly at lower altitudes, using the terrain to radar mask their approaches.

Terrain foreknowledge allow our subsonic missiles to limit their radar operations to terrain verification, in other words, a Tomahawk cruise missile needs only to radar scan the terrain in a much shorter distance ahead whereas if no foreknowledge is available, the radar must scan much further ahead to provide the navigation system enough terrain information to calculate flight deviation options. Limited radar output mean decreased odds of detection by the enemy.

So do not dismiss subsonic cruise missiles out just yet just because the Brahmos can go supersonic. If anything, supersonic flight mean the Brahmos must fly at an altitude higher than most terrain features, making it vulnerable to Doppler discrimination by airborne radar. The closer a potential adversary, the greater the threat, and that mean the greater the need for a quicker military response. The Brahmos is a very adversary specific weapon.

 

[Mummai_guy]

According to Shiv aroor DRDO is developing a new stealth cruise missile with 600 km range speed of Mach 3.2

 

[Trac]

According to Shiv aroor DRDO is developing a new stealth cruise missile with 600 km range speed of Mach 3.2

Buddy we are on the way to introduce a cruse missile with hypersonic speed and about 1900km range so do you think 600km range is big task for DRDO

Only one think is big task and that is stealth feature

 

[rsingh]

BrahMos tested in steep-dive mode

BrahMos cruise missile was successfully test-fired on Sunday and the highlight of the mission was the missile performing a steep dive at a supersonic speed.

After its launch from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur, off Orissa, and reaching a flat trajectory, the missile dived vertically. The missile performed the manoeuvre when it was flying at three times the speed of sound. Normally, a missile comes down gradually. This is a new capability proved by BrahMos, a product of India-Russia collaboration. This was BrahMos' 23rd flight.

“It was an important mission. For the first time, a cruise missile was tested at a supersonic speed in a steep-dive mode,” said Chief Executive Officer of BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited A. Sivathanu Pillai.

“When you launch a missile, it goes up and reaches a flat trajectory. In this case, the BrahMos dove straight down from its flat trajectory while cruising at a supersonic speed,” he said.
Source
The Hindu : Front Page : BrahMos tested in steep-dive mode

 

[Mummai_guy]

Buddy we are on the way to introduce a cruse missile with hypersonic speed and about 1900km range so do you think 600km range is big task for DRDO

Only one think is big task and that is stealth feature

Not sure about the 1900 km hypersonic missile as 1000 km subsonic Nirbhay is also under development. But shiv has shown a slide of the new 600 km missile.

 

[Trac]

BrahMos tested in steep-dive mode

BrahMos cruise missile was successfully test-fired on Sunday and the highlight of the mission was the missile performing a steep dive at a supersonic speed.

After its launch from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur, off Orissa, and reaching a flat trajectory, the missile dived vertically. The missile performed the manoeuvre when it was flying at three times the speed of sound. Normally, a missile comes down gradually. This is a new capability proved by BrahMos, a product of India-Russia collaboration. This was BrahMos' 23rd flight.

“It was an important mission. For the first time, a cruise missile was tested at a supersonic speed in a steep-dive mode,” said Chief Executive Officer of BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited A. Sivathanu Pillai.

“When you launch a missile, it goes up and reaches a flat trajectory. In this case, the BrahMos dove straight down from its flat trajectory while cruising at a supersonic speed,” he said.
Source
The Hindu : Front Page : BrahMos tested in steep-dive mode

Hi lighted part tell the success story of our Brahmos

 

[Mummai_guy]

Hi lighted part tell the success story of our Brahmos

Yeah but the production rate is slow! After getting Kerala Hitech, Brahmos Corp setting up new production facility in Kerala. It will increase production.

 

[RPK]

domain-b.com : BrahMos creates record with controlled supersonic crash-dive


''It was an important mission. For the first time, a cruise missile was tested at a supersonic speed in a steep-dive mode,'' said Dr A Sivathanu Pillai, chief controller, DRDO and chief executive officer of BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd.

''When you launch a missile, it goes up and reaches a flat trajectory. In this case, the BrahMos dove straight down from its flat trajectory while cruising at a supersonic speed,'' he said.

This was BrahMos' 23rd flight.

The missile tested on Sunday was an advanced version –the Block-II version of the BrahMos.. "The missile flew in the designated complex trajectory including large manoeuvres and steep dive. This is the first time that a supersonic dive has been realised by a cruise missile," a source said.

 

[Isaq Khan]

Is India have nuclear weapons with 200 kg
Only thermonuclear weapons will fit that. If that so, we only have partial success in testing that

I think it may help:

Report by David Albright, published by the Institute for Science and International Security in 2000, estimated that India at end of 1999 had 310 kilograms of weapon grade plutonium, enough for 65 nuclear weapons.

He also estimated that India had 4,200 kg of reactor grade plutonium which is enough to build 1,000 nuclear weapons. By the end of 2004, he estimates India had 445 kilograms of weapon grade plutonium which is enough for around 85 nuclear weapons considering 5 kg of plutonium required for each weapon.

India and weapons of mass destruction - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nuclear Weapons - India Nuclear Forces

 

[saurabh]

considering 5 kg of plutonium required for each weapon.

India and weapons of mass destruction - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nuclear Weapons - India Nuclear Forces

Weight of a bomb is definitely much, much more than weight of fissionable material (Pu/U) used in it.

 

[Isaq Khan]

Weight of a bomb is definitely much, much more than weight of fissionable material (Pu/U) used in it.

Obviously.

Brahmos have 300 kgs of warhead capacity.

 

[saurabh]

Obviously.

Brahmos have 300 kgs of warhead capacity.

Yes, but your post didn't indicated how much a nuke would weight !!

 

[Trisonics]

The closer a potential adversary, the greater the threat, and that mean the greater the need for a quicker military response. The Brahmos is a very adversary specific weapon.

Thank you for the useful post Gambit. This is exactly what some Indians are saying. The Brahmos will be mainly used on specific high profile targets like Dams or nuclear installations. When the distance is close, and the missile can make a few changes to its path the adversary has very little chance to intercept considering the speed. The problem may also be compounded if more than one missile is fired at the same target with different trajectories.