The CEO of BrahMos Aerospace, Atul Rane announced on October 18, that Brahmos-NG will start its trials in 2024. Brahmos-NG is a mini version of the BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile with several new features and a reduced load, Brahmos-NG will have same 290 km range and mach 3.5 speed but it will weigh around 1.5 tons, 5 metres in length and 50 cm in diameter, making BrahMos-NG 50 percent lighter and three metres shorter than its predecessor. The missile system is expected to be inducted with the IAF in the year 2025. The Missile will be armed on Su-30MKI, HAL Tejas fighters of the Indian Air Force. A submarine launched version of this missile is also being developed.
The BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile System is currently used by the Indian Army, Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy. This Missile System is designed and developed in a joint-venture between the Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Russian Federation’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya, who together have formed BrahMos Aerospace.
The BrahMos Missile is based on the Russian P-800 Oniks supersonic anti-ship cruise missile. BrahMos entered into service with the Indian Armed Forces in November 2005. Since then, multiple varients of the BrahMos has been developed and many upgraded varients loaded with next-generation technologies are currently being designed.
This includes the BrahMos-II Hypersonic Cruise Missile System, which is currently under development by India, it is estimated to have a range of 600 km. With a speed of more than Mach 8, it will have double the speed of the current BrahMos missile, and it will be the fastest hypersonic missile in the world.
According to Atul Rane, the CEO of BrahMos Aerospace, the design work of the Brahmos-NG is currently being completed.
Brahmos-NG will be a very advanced missile and it will highly boost the offensive power of the Indian Air Force Fighter Squadrons. The Indian Air Force has already planned to induct the Brahmos-NG on its frontline fighter, the Sukhoi Su-30MKI, currently the Su-30MKI is able to carry only a single unit of the BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile, but after the induction of the light-weight Brahmos-NG it will be able to carry 3 Brahmos-NG Missiles.
The Brahmos-NG will be a stealthy missile, which will have lesser RCS (radar cross section) compared to its predecessor, making it harder for enemy air defense systems to locate and engage it.
BrahMos Aerospace is planning to manufacture BrahMos-NG in Uttar Pradesh. The Indian Air Force already confirmed a requirement of 400 missiles that will cost around ₹8,000 crore and it will be delivered within 5 years of time period.
Along with the Su-30MKI, this missile will also be armed on the MiG-29K of the Indian Navy, the induction of Brahmos-NG on the MiG-29K will greatly improve the firepower of the Indian Navy. MiG-29K is operated by the Indian Navy from the flight deck of its aircraft carriers. It will boost the striking capability of the Navy.
The Brahmos-NG can also be used on the Dassault Rafale Multirole Fighter and the HAL Tejas Mk2 Medium-weight Fighter.
Since the Sukhoi Su-30MKI is a long-range Heavyweight Fighter Aircraft so the aircraft will carry 3 Brahmos-NG Missiles, and the rest of the above-mentioned warplanes will carry a single missile.
The Brahmos-NG will also be capable of being fired from the new Project 75I -class submarines of the Indian Navy. The project 75 is a planned class of diesel-electric submarines, which are to be built for the Indian Navy. Indian expects to manufacture 6 submarines of this class. This class is going to be a submarine with multi-mission capability.