Ship-based Weapon Complex System

BRAHMOS is the leading supersonic cruise missile capable of hitting sea based targets beyond radar horizons. The missile with pinpoint accuracy can be launched as far as 290-km from the target. It can be launched in either inclined or vertical configuration based on the type of the ship or user requirements. The potential carriers are Frigate, Corvette, Offshore patrol vessel and any other type of ships.

The missile has successfully demonstrated its speed, precision and power a number of times from Naval ships. The launches have been carried out in sea-to-sea and sea-to-land configurations successfully. The recent launch in the inclined configuration in sea-to-land mode was carried out from sea to a designated target built on an isolated island at Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It precisely hit the target, thus demonstrating its capabilities.

BRAHMOS has also been tested in vertical configuration from a moving warship. This has proved the missile’s vertical launch capabilities from a moving platform and also that of the Universal Vertical Launcher Module (UVLM), designed and developed by BrahMos. UVLM, a next generation system far superior to the design concept followed worldwide, will be used for future ship installation in vertical configuration for BRAHMOS. BRAHMOS can be launched in single or in a salvo from a ship towards single or different types of targets within an interval of 2-2.5 seconds in various trajectories. A salvo of 8 missiles can penetrate and destroy a group of frigates having modern anti-missile defences.

The Indian Navy has begun inducting the first version of BRAHMOS Missile System (N1) in all its frontline warships from 2005.

Special Features of the Weapon System:

• Fire Control System, Launcher and inter-connectivity with ship's navigation and sensors
• Salvo launch capability, where multiple missiles can be fired in different trajectories to hit a single or group of targets
• The missile’s mid-course guidance is provided by Inertial Navigation System and the terminal course guidance by homing radar seeker. GPS/GLONASS can be added for augmenting the accuracy
• The intelligent characteristics of the missile are such that it is beyond present day's missile detection capability

Launch Platforms:

INS Rajput: INS Rajput is one of India’s frontline naval warships of destroyer class. It was commissioned by Indian Navy on September 30, 1980. The vessel has a water displacement of 3,950 tonnes. The warship has been installed with four BRAHMOS supersonic cruise missiles, two on each side in inclined configuration in 2003.

INS Ranvir: INS Ranvir belongs to the Rajput-class guided missile destroyers. It was commissioned by Indian Navy on October 28, 1986. Recently, it has been fitted with a state-of- the-art Universal Vertical Launcher Module. On December 18, 2008, the first launch of the supersonic cruise missile took place from this launch platform.