BrahMos-II

BrahMos-II or BrahMos-2 or BrahMos Mark II is a hypersonic scramjet-propelled missile currently under joint development by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation and Russia's NPO Mashinostroyenia, which have together formed BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited. The BrahMos-II is expected to have a range of 1,500 kilometres (930 mi; 810 nmi) and a speed of Mach 8. During the cruise stage of flight, the missile will be propelled by a scramjet airbreathing jet engine. Other details, including production cost and physical dimensions of the missile, are yet to be published. The planned operational range of the BrahMos-II had initially been restricted to 290 kilometres as Russia is a signatory to the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), which prohibits it from helping other countries develop missiles with ranges above 300 kilometres (190 mi; 160 nmi). However, subsequent to India becoming a MTCR signatory in 2014, the parameters for Brahmos 2 will get enhanced. Its top speed will be double that of the current BrahMos-I, and it has been described as the fastest cruise missile in the world. Testing was planned to start in 2020 has been delayed but is now expected to be ready by 2026 or 2027 for flight testing. The missile is expected to be weighted around 1.33 tonnes, about half the weight of the current air-launched missile at 2.65 tonnes. With this advantage of light weight and "is a sleeker air launched missile than the current variant, and is in advanced stages of development. It should be ready for flight testing in a year or so,” a defence official said, adding it would be ready for production and induction in one to two years after that. Being much lighter, the BrahMos-NG can be mounted on other fighters, including the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas. Fourth-generation multi-purpose Russian Naval...