India-Indonesia Agreements on BrahMos and Astra Missiles
- Background: Marking another milestone in the growing defense partnership between India and Indonesia, the two nations have reached agreements in principle to procure additional batches of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system and Astra Mk-1 beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles.
About the BrahMos Missile
- BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile jointly developed by India and Russia.
- It is a precision-guided strike missile capable of being launched from land, air, sea, and underwater platforms.
Development Background
- BrahMos was developed based on an agreement signed between India and Russia in 1998.
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- It is manufactured by BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture between the following entities:
- India’s DRDO – 50.5%
- Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya – 49.5%
- The name “BrahMos” is derived from two rivers: Brahmaputra (India) and the Moskva (Russia).
BrahMos Structure and Technology
Two-Stage Design
- The missile consists of two stages:
- solid-fuel booster for initial acceleration.
- A liquid-fuel ramjet engine for sustained high-speed cruise.
Speed
- Capable of traveling at Mach 3, which is three times the speed of sound.
Range
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- Previous range: 290 km.
- Upgraded versions can travel up to 350–400 km.
- Future variants are expected to achieve a range of over 800 km.
Stealth capability
- Features a low Radar Cross-Section (RCS).
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- Compact design helps evade detection by enemy radar Guidance System
- Utilizes “fire-and-forget” technology.
- Does not require continuous human guidance after launch.
Key Features of BrahMos
Multi-platform launch capability
- Can be launched from: warships, submarines, mobile land-based launchers, and fighter aircraft.
High Precision
- Delivers precision strikes with the following features:
- Deep penetration capability.
- Terrain-following capability.
- Capability to operate in mountainous regions.
- High Speed and Power
- Travels three times faster than subsonic cruise missiles.
- Possesses approximately nine times the kinetic energy of subsonic missiles.
- Stand-off capability
- Allows forces to launch the missile from a safe distance without entering enemy airspace.
Terminal phase capability
- In the terminal phase of flight, it can descend to an altitude of approximately 10 meters.
- This facilitates highly accurate strikes on the target and makes interception and destruction of the missile difficult.
About the Astra Mk-1 Missile
- Astra Mk-1 is a ‘Beyond Visual Range’ (BVR) air-to-air missile.
- BVR missiles are capable of engaging and destroying targets beyond a range of 20 nautical miles (approximately 37 km).
- Air-to-Air Missiles (AAMs) are launched from aircraft or other aerial platforms to engage enemy aerial targets.
Range
- The operational range of the Astra Mk-1 is approximately 110 km.
- The Astra Mk-2, featuring a range exceeding 150 km, is currently under development.
- Plans are also in place to develop an advanced Astra Mk-3 variant with an even greater range
- Another version of the Astra with a shorter range is also being developed.
Design and Development
- The Astra missile series has been designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
Current Facts
- Kamarajar Port Limited (KPL) has become India’s second major port after Visakhapatnam to achieve an operational draft of 18 metres, enabling it to handle fully laden Capesize vessels carrying cargo of up to 1,70,000 deadweight tonnage (DWT) and significantly boosting the country’s maritime competitiveness.
