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India Signs BrahMos Missile Export Deal with Vietnam
India signs a deal to sell BrahMos missiles to Vietnam, as stated by the Indian Defence Secretary. The Defence Secretary also states that a similar BrahMos missile deal with Indonesia is in the final stage.
BrahMos Missile System :
| Dimension | Key Details |
|---|---|
| System type | BrahMos comprises an unmanned payload rocket and is considered one of the fastest cruise missiles in the world. |
| Cruise missile basics | Cruise missiles comprise unmanned vehicles powered by jet engines that can be launched from ground, air, or sea platforms, and fly at a low distance from the ground. |
| Name | BrahMos comprises an amalgamation of the names of the Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers. |
| Origin and ownership | BrahMos comprises a joint venture between India’s DRDO (50.5%) and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyenia, NPOM (49.5%), which comprises BrahMos Aerospace. |
| Technical design | BrahMos comprises a two-stage missile: first stage comprises a solid propellant booster engine that propels it to supersonic speed and then gets separated; second stage comprises a liquid ramjet that thrusts the missile to three times the speed of sound in its cruise phase. |
| Liquid ramjet | A liquid ramjet comprises an air-breathing jet engine that uses liquid fuel, which is injected into the high-speed airstream and ignited to produce thrust. |
| Range | The original range comprises 290 km, and extended ranges up to 350 km are currently being tested. |
| Performance comparison | Compared to subsonic cruise missiles, BrahMos comprises 3 times the speed, 2.5 times the flight range, a higher seeker range leading to higher accuracy, and 9 times more kinetic energy. |
| Capabilities and versions | BrahMos comprises a stand-off range, ‘fire-and-forget’ type supersonic cruise missile, and comprises land, ship, air, and submarine versions. |
| Stand-off weapon | A stand-off weapon comprises a weapon fired from a safe distance to avoid enemy defences. |
| Stealth and flight path | BrahMos comprises an extremely low radar signature and can follow a variety of paths. |
| Altitude profile | Altitude comprises up to 15 km, and terminal altitude comprises as low as 10 metres. |
| Warhead | The missile comprises a conventional warhead weighing 200–300 kg. |
| First foreign buyer | The Philippines is the first foreign buyer of the BrahMos missile system after signing a deal worth nearly $375 million in 2022. |