SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
BrahMos Aerospace, the joint venture between India and Russia, is working on significant upgrades to the current ramjet engine used in the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile. The enhancements aim to achieve hypersonic speeds of Mach 5 or above within the next 4-5 years. This marks an exciting phase in the missile’s development, as the company looks to push the boundaries of speed, precision, and strike capability.
The upgraded BrahMos missile will retain the same airframe as the current version but will feature a more powerful ramjet engine capable of achieving hypersonic speeds, with a target of Mach 5. However, it’s crucial to distinguish this from the BrahMos 2K, which is expected to exceed Mach 7 speeds, placing it in the extreme hypersonic category.
The current BrahMos missile, which is operational and widely regarded as one of the most advanced supersonic cruise missiles in the world, relies on a ramjet engine to reach speeds of Mach 2.8 (approximately 3,400 km/h). It is known for its high speed, manoeuvrability, precision, and ability to carry both conventional and nuclear warheads.
The ramjet engine used in the BrahMos provides sustained high-speed performance by utilizing the missile’s high-speed air intake. Unlike turbojet engines, which use compressors to compress air before combustion, a ramjet engine relies on the missile’s forward speed to compress the air, making it more efficient at supersonic speeds.
While the BrahMos missile’s current ramjet engine allows it to achieve Mach 2.8, its design has inherent limitations in terms of pushing the missile into the hypersonic regime. To achieve the desired Mach 5 and beyond, significant improvements need to be made to the airframe, engine, and propulsion technology.
BrahMos Aerospace aims to enhance the ramjet engine to reach speeds of Mach 5 (approximately 6,174 km/h), placing the missile in the hypersonic category. Hypersonic missiles travel at speeds above Mach 5, and BrahMos Aerospace intends to showcase this capability within the next 4-5 years.
To achieve this leap in speed, the engine will need to be redesigned to handle higher temperatures, pressures, and airflow speeds, typical of hypersonic flight. This could involve advanced materials for thermal protection, more efficient combustion mechanisms, and potentially augmented ramjet designs. Additionally, improving the missile’s control surfaces and guidance systems will be crucial to maintaining precision at these extreme speeds.
While the upgraded BrahMos missile is targeting Mach 5, the BrahMos 2K is a separate, next-generation variant of the missile. The BrahMos 2K, a hypersonic cruise missile, is expected to reach speeds above Mach 7 (approximately 8,600 km/h). This will place the BrahMos 2K in the ultra-hypersonic category, capable of greater manoeuvrability and faster strike capabilities. The BrahMos 2K’s hypersonic speeds would make it even more difficult to intercept, providing a formidable deterrent for any adversary.
The BrahMos 2K is still under development and will likely have a different airframe, propulsion system, and set of technologies that differentiate it from the standard BrahMos missile. However, both variants share a focus on advanced propulsion and strike capabilities, making the BrahMos family of missiles among the most advanced in the world.
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