BrahMos Missile: A Primer

Introduction:

BrahMos has emerged as India’s key strike platform that can carry both conventional and nuclear payloads. Conceived as a joint venture between India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya, the project was established under the name BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited in 1998. The program was launched with an initial investment of $250 million, with India holding a 50.5% stake and Russia a 49.5% stake, reflecting a nearly equal partnership that combined India’s growing technological base with Russia’s long-standing expertise in missile design and propulsion.

Missile Characteristics:

The missile carries a warhead weighing 300 kilograms. Capable of traveling at speeds of up to Mach 3, it is one of the world’s fastest cruise missiles. The missile can fly at different trajectories, such as high, high-low, and low. Its cruising altitude is 15 km, and it can fly as low as 10 m. The missile can be launched in both top-attack and direct attack modes. In top attack mode, the missile climbs sharply after launch, travels at a certain altitude, and then plunges on top of the intended target. In direct attack mode, the missile travels at a lower altitude, striking the target directly. Moreover, it has a “fire and forget” mode of operation, capable of retaining high supersonic speed throughout the flight, can fly at a variety of flight trajectories, low radar signature, and has surgical precision.

MTCR and Increase in Missile Range:

The BrahMos range was initially capped at 290 km because India was not part of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR). However, as soon as India joined the cartel in 2016, it began working to increase the missile range. Russia had not shown any objection to this initiative as Russian President Putin stated, “We have agreed to improve the BrahMos missile, and also work to increase its range.” The Indian army conducted the maiden launch of an ER missile in November 2020, whose range was increased from 290 to 400 km. Later on, the range was enhanced to 450 km, which was tested during a missile launch conducted by the Indian army in November 2023. This was followed by the India navy testing its ship-launched land attack and anti-ship 450 km ER missiles in 2022, respectively. Finally, the first air ER version was also tested on December 29, 2022, when the IAF Su-30 platform successfully engaged a ship target in the Bay of Bengal.

Moreover, once India joined the MTCR, it not only focused on increasing the range but also on indigenizing missile-critical components. In this regard, the first test was conducted on March 22, 2023, testing an indigenous seeker. Previously, India procured this key component from Russia. Another test was conducted on September 30, 2023, in which an indigenous “propulsion system, airframe, power supply, and other major indigenous components” were tested.

Brahmos Missile Tests:

In the 21 years since its first test in 2001, the Indian military tested BrahMos tested several times. The maiden missile test was carried out in 2001. It was an anti-ship version, which became operational with the Indian Navy in a record four years in 2005. The surface-to-surface version was first tested in 2004. It was eventually inducted by the army, three years later, in 2007. The air-launched version was tested for the first time on November 22, 2017, and became operational with the Indian Air Force (IAF) in 2020. The list of BrahMos missile tests is mentioned in the table below:

BrahMos Missile Tests:

Source: Author’s Own Compilation from different sources like Indian MOD Annual Reports, Indian electronic and print media releases, and Official Press Releases of the Indian MOD.

Inductions and Storage Sites:

Besides testing, the Indian military inducted missiles and established multiple BrahMos storage sites. The Navy became the first service to induct the missile in 2005, when the INS Rajput was armed with the BrahMos missiles. Since then, the Indian Navy has been integrating BrahMos with all of its newer warships. The Indian army inducted its first missile regiment in 2007 with 67 Block-I missiles, followed by the second regiment comprised of Block-II missiles in 2011. The third regiment became operational in 2014 with Block-III missiles capable of striking targets located behind mountains. The fourth regiment, consisting of 100 Block-III missiles, was sanctioned in 2016.

In 2016, The Hindu revealed that the IAF had already inducted two squadrons, each equipped with 70 to 80 missiles. The Hindu further reported that the IAF had deployed the surface-to-surface version as a stopgap arrangement to target the adversary’s air bases and other facilities before its combat aircraft became operational with the air-launched version of BrahMos. Finally, in 2020, the first air-launched squadron also became operational with the IAF. Forty SU-30 MKIs are already modified by the IAF to carry the air-launched version. It is worth mentioning here that the IAF has both air-launched and surface-to-surface-launched versions of BrahMos in its arsenal.

Out of 16 storage sites, 12 were constructed in states sharing a border with Pakistan, such as Rajasthan, Punjab, Gujarat, and Indian illegally occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK). Moreover, the site in Haryana does not directly border Pakistan but is located less than 250 km from the international border with Pakistan. The storage sites are mentioned below in the table with their coordinates.

Indian Army and IAF Storage Sites:

Source: Author’s Own Compilation from Open Source.

New BrahMos Missile Production Plant:

To enhance production, a new manufacturing plant was made operational in May 2025. The plant rolled out its maiden missile batch on October 18, 2025.  This is the second BrahMos production facility, in addition to the Hyderabad BrahMos Integrated Complex, with a workforce of approximately 300 technicians, engineers, and scientists. The new facility is a large complex with the capability to manufacture 80-100 missiles, with production expected to scale up to 150 missiles annually within the next few years. This implies that the additional facility can equip one BrahMos regiment each year, as evident from the latest induction of the third and fourth regiments in the Indian army, which entailed 100 missiles each. 

The new plant will benefit the Indian armed forces on both the supply chain and operational side. On the Supply chain side, India can now produce missiles promptly and subsequently equip its tri-services with new advanced variants, as the previous plant had its order books full for production until 2025 and for maintenance support of the older missiles until 2035. On the operational side, India will have additional missiles, indicating more deployed systems to inflict damage on the adversary, and that too from stand-off ranges, thus keeping one’s launch platform out of harm’s way. 

800 Km Range BrahMos:

India has decided to deploy ER BrahMos missiles with a range exceeding 800 km by 2027. The new ER missile will feature a modified ramjet engine, capable of travelling at speeds greater than Mach 3. The key rationale behind increasing its range further is to allow the Indian military to launch missiles further away from the border with Pakistan by keeping them out of Pakistan’s conventional missile strike range. The world witnessed on the night of May 6/7, seven of the IAF combat aircraft, including four Rafales, were shot down deep inside the Indian territory by the Pakistan air force (PAF). Therefore, the IAF wanted to have a long-range BrahMos variant that can be launched from deep inside the Indian territory, to keep the IAF launching aircraft at a safe distance from the PAF fighters.

Moreover, the ER missile will include enhanced anti-jamming and improved precision capabilities. The key rationale behind this is the jamming of the BrahMos missile by the PAF electronic warfare units during the four-day crisis. So, the Indian military wants newer missiles to be more resilient to jamming.

 

Conclusion:

BrahMos emerged as the Indian military’s primary strike weapon system, especially after its employment in the 2025 Crisis with Pakistan. The ER missile, with a range exceeding 800 kilometers, will allow India the ability to conduct deep-strike operations from well within its own territory against Pakistan. The missile is a reflection of India’s adoption of a pre-emptive strike counterforce posture. Its advanced characteristics, such as greater range, enhanced precision, speed, and maneuverability, will make it India’s number one counter-force weapon. All this emphasis on one point: the Indian leadership has decided to increase the role of BrahMos in conventional missions, which is evident from its employment by the Indian military in 2025. Given the unparalleled rhetoric and war mongering that is happening from the Indian side, it is quite expected that India can launch another misadventure.

For instance, in the past few weeks, the Indian army chief and the Indian defence minister have threatened Pakistan. The army chief said that “This time we will take a step forward and act in a manner that will make Pakistan think whether it wants to remain on the world map or not”. This was followed by a threat coming from Rajnath Singh, who stated that “Today in 2025, Pakistan should remember that one route to Karachi passes through Sir Creek”. These statements are coming at a time when the atmosphere between Pakistan and India is still tense. These remarks are made not at election rallies but during the official visits of the defense minister and the army chief to forward operational areas in Gujarat and Rajasthan, which border Pakistan. Given the history, there is a possibility that India may launch another misadventure in the near future, but this time it will launch more BrahMos missiles at an unprecedented rate to conduct conventional strikes.