Context: 

The Cabinet Committee on Security has cleared Indian Navy’s proposals to buy 220 BrahMos extended-range missiles for its warships worth around Rs 20,000 crore.

• The extended-range BrahMos is speculated to have an extended range of around 800 km.

About BrahMos Missile

• The term “BrahMos” is created by combining the names of two rivers: the Brahmaputra in India and the Moskva in Russia.
• BrahMos Aerospace is a collaborative effort between India and Russia.
• BRAHMOS is a Two-Stage Missile.
  • First Stage: Solid-Propelent booster Engine
  • Second Stage: Liquid Ramjet
• Speed: Up to 3 Mach speed in cruise phase. 
• BrahMos Missile Range: The missile can travel up to 290 kilometres at supersonic speeds throughout its flight.
• Altitude: 
  • Cruising up to 15 km and 
  • Terminal altitude is as low as 10 meters.
• Warhead Capacity: It carries a conventional warhead weighing 200 to 300 kgs.
• The missile has an identical configuration for land, sea and sub-sea platforms and uses a Transport Launch Canister (TLC) for transportation, and storage.
• Stealth technology and guidance system with advanced embedded software provide the missile with special features.

Special Features

• Universal for multiple platforms.
• “Fire and Forget principle of operation.
• High supersonic speed all through the flight.
• Long flight range with varieties of flight trajectories.
• Low radar signature.
• Shorter flight times leading to lower target dispersion and quicker engagement.
• Pinpoint accuracy with high lethal power aided by large kinetic energy on impact.

News Source: The Hindu

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