India and Russia’s joint venture, BrahMos Aerospace has restarted work at full speed on their next-generation missile, i.e. the BrahMos-2. This new missile will be three times faster than the current BrahMos and is expected to be a strong reply to China’s DF-17 hypersonic missile.
The BrahMos-2 will travel at a speed of Mach 9, which means around 11,000 kilometers per hour. At such speeds, it could reach its target in less than a minute, making it one of the most powerful weapon for India’s defence.
Hypersonic Speed and Radar Evasion
According to reports, the BrahMos-2 missile will use a special type of engine called a scramjet, which will help it fly at very high speeds for a long time. It will use oxygen from the air while flying, so it won’t need to carry extra fuel, which makes it lighter and more efficient.
But this missile is not just about being fast, it is also very clever as it can fly close to the ground and make quick, sharp turns, which will help it stay out of sight from enemy radar systems. This missile will be very hard to detect or stop.
Its smart design, stealth features, and advanced control system make it very hard to track which will give it a big edge during an attack.
BrahMos-2 may shift regional power balance in India’s favor
China’s DF-17 hypersonic missile is known for being fast and powerful, but India’s new BrahMos-2 might go even beyond that. It can travel up to 1,500 kilometers and can be launched from land, sea, or air, making it useful in many types of battles.
This kind of all-round strength makes BrahMos-2 a real game-changer. With rising tensions in South Asia, this missile could give India a strong advantage and help maintain a better balance of power in the region.
Testing and what lies ahead
This new missile is being developed together by India’s DRDO and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyenia and as per recent updates, the testing of BrahMos-2 has already started.
One of the biggest advantages of BrahMos-2 is that it can carry both normal (conventional) and nuclear warheads. This makes it useful for different types of military missions, whether they are small or large-scale.