The IAF is steadfastly the fitting of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to its Sukhoi 30 MKI air superiority fighters. BrahMos missiles have an operational range between 300-400 km and are undergoing a range augmentation programme that seeks to increase the striking radius by 150 km.
Such an exponential enhancement in capacity would make it all the more possible for a BrahMos-A releasing from the IAF to strike the terror facility in Bahawalpur hardly a task of 60 seconds.
This leaves very little room for the Pakistani Air Force prevent the strike. With such a modification, IAF can also hit Pakistani targets even while flying on the waters of Arabian Sea and if required, BrahMos-A can also be nuclear tipped.
IAF has plans of having 40 Su-30MKIs fitted with the BrahMos missiles which can carry out long range standoff strikes against enemy targets.The retrofitting of the aircraft is expected to be completed by 2020, Indian Air Force (IAF) sources revealed. “It is a very important project considering IAF’s evolving requirement to boost air power when the possibility of a two-front war cannot be ruled out,” an Indian government official said.
Up until now, only two IAF Su-30 MKI fighters have been converted to fire the new 2.5-ton supersonic air-to-surface cruise missile. Due to the size and weight of the BrahMos-A, each Su-30 MKI can only carry one missile in a transport launch canister.
Combined development of the computer, positioning systems and propellant technology by the BrahMos corp would allow the cruise missiles to strike targets with pinpoint accuracy that enables to carry out cross-border anti-terror ops even in densely populated regions, avoiding any collateral damage.
IAF is planning to get two squadrons of Sukhoi Su-30MKIs to BrahMos-A by 2020-21. Such an addition should bring all of Pakistan’s command and control centres of its tri-services, nuclear arsenal and manufacturing units, terror hubs and strategic assets such as dams, airports, railway stations, airports; within the striking range of the IAF.
A leaner and meaner version of the BrahMos, in all likeliness, will be fitted to the MiG-29Ks of the Navy, Rafales, Mirage-2000s and Tejas as a standard air-to-surface missile. India’s entry into the MTCR has made it possible to increase the range of BrahMos to 800 km.
Source:- Swarajyamag
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