BrahMos flight-tested

BrahMos, the supersonic anti-ship cruise missile jointly developed by India and Russia, was on Wednesday successfully flight-tested from the Interim Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur near Balasore in Orissa, Defence Research and Development Organisation sources said.

BrahMos has a range of 290km with a 200-300kg payload of conventional warheads, DRDO sources said. It can be fired from multiple platforms - ships, land, submarine and air.

Though primarily an anti-ship missile, BrahMos also has the capability to engage shore-based radio-contrast target.

"It was a wonderful test-flight. It was intended to evaluate the precision guidance system and the improved fire control system," Dr A S Pillai, chief controller, DRDO, told PTI.

President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam and Defence Minister George Fernandes congratulated the scientists on the successful test firing of the missile.