India and Russia are advancing their long-standing defence partnership with the development of a new BrahMos cruise missile variant capable of reaching targets up to 800 kilometres away.
This marks a significant leap from the current versions, which generally have a range of just over 450 kilometres.
The extended reach would allow India to strike deep into adversary territory while remaining outside the envelope of hostile air defence systems, thereby enhancing its strategic deterrence posture.
The upgraded missile is being jointly developed by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya. Despite the increase in range, the missile will retain its defining feature: sustained supersonic speed of around Mach 3, powered by its ramjet engine.
This speed makes interception extremely difficult, preserving the system’s reputation as one of the most formidable cruise missiles in service.
The BrahMos has already been adapted for multiple platforms, including land-based launchers, naval vessels, submarines, and Su-30MKI aircraft. A prototype of the air-launched version was publicly seen in 2019, underscoring India’s ambition to integrate the missile into its airpower arsenal.
Weighing approximately three tonnes and capable of carrying a 300-kilogram warhead, the missile combines heavy strike capability with rapid delivery.
Procurement of the 800-kilometre variant is expected to be discussed by the Defence Acquisition Council, chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Although the council approved $25 billion worth of acquisitions in March 2025, the extended-range BrahMos was not yet formally included in the list.
Its operational relevance was highlighted during the India–Pakistan clashes in May 2025, when reports suggested India used BrahMos missiles to strike multiple Pakistani air bases and radar installations.
The BrahMos project itself dates back to the late 1990s, conceived as a joint venture between India and Russia.
Its name symbolically merges the Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers, reflecting the bilateral cooperation underpinning the programme. Since its first tests in 2001, the missile has steadily evolved into a versatile, multi-platform weapon system, and the new extended-range version represents the next stage in this evolution.
Agencies
