Brah Mos - Testing

Testing

Brahmos was first test fired on 12 June 2001 from the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur in a vertical launch configuration. On 14 June 2004 another test was conducted at ITR and Brahmos was fired from a mobile launcher. During a user trial on 20 January 2009 Brahmos was tested with a new navigation system but it failed to hit the target. BrahMos Aerospace Corporation's director Dr Sivathanu Pillai said. "The missile performance was absolutely normal until the last phase, but the missile missed the target, though it maintained the direction." and that "The problem was in the software, not hardware". The Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) said that there were "small hitches" in the last stage of the test-firing. DRDO officials further said: "The American satellites that run the GPS had been switched off on the day Barack Obama was sworn in as United States President. The missile, therefore, traveled for 112 seconds instead of the slated 84 seconds and fell 7 km away from the target".

Brahmos was test fired again on 4 March 2009 and on 29 March 2009. For the test the missile had to identify a building among a cluster of buildings in an urban environment. Brahmos successfully hit the intended target in two and a half minutes of launch marking the completion of the development phase of Brahmos Block-II. On 21 March 2010 Brahmos was test fired and "hit a free-floating ship piercing it above the waterline and destroying it completely". The test proved the missile's ability to manoeuvre at supersonic speed before hitting a target, making India the first and only country to have a manoeuvrable supersonic cruise missile. On 5 September 2010 Brahmos was test fired again. A scientist, who witnessed the test, said "The missile flew in the designated complex trajectory including large manoeuvres and steep dive. This is the first time that a supersonic dive has been realized by a cruise missile".

Brahmos Block III+ was test fired from a Mobile Autonomous Launcher on 2 December 2010 with a new advanced guidance scheme incorporating large scale manoeuvres at multiple points and a steep dive from high altitude with precision strike. Brahmos completed all manoeuvres, hitting the target precisely. On 12 August 2011 it was test fired by ground forces and met all mission parameters. The BrahMos cruise missile was successfully test fired by an Indian Army unit on Sunday, 4 March 2012 at the Pokharan range in Jaisalmer to operationalise the second regiment of the weapon system in the Indian Army. The test was attended by senior Army officials including Vice Chief Lt Gen Shri Krishna Singh and Director General Military Operations (DGMO) Lt Gen A K Chaudhary. With this test, the second BrahMos unit of the Indian Army is now operational.

Another development test was conducted on 29 July 2012 from the ITR. This was the 32nd test of the missile. The test was deemed successful from an experimental point of view, but did not meet all mission parameters. This test was done to evaluate more than 25 sub-systems of the missile which were produced by the Indian industry, like the power systems, materials for air frame components, guidance scheme and various electric systems. The test data will be analysed and used for large-scale indigenous production of the missile. The test results revealed that except for one subsystem, all other subsystems and components have performed to the requirement. The malfunction of one subsystem resulted in increase in velocity of the missile, crossing the limit and the mission was aborted. The defect was rectified after the analysis. Further development flight tests will be conducted as a measure of self-reliance.

The Indian Navy on 7 October 2012 morning successfully test-fired BrahMos from a guided missile frigate INS Teg. This new highly manoeuvrable version is fitted with advanced satellite navigation systems turning it into a "super-rocket" capable of hitting targets over 300–500 km from sea, land and air launchers, and capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.