SOURCE: AFI
In a recent revelation that underscores the technological prowess of India’s BrahMos cruise missile, former BrahMos Aerospace CEO Dr. Sudhir Kumar Mishra (commonly referred to as Dr. Pillai in some reports) has clarified the missile’s operational mechanics, effectively debunking claims by the Pakistani military that they successfully soft-jammed its radio frequency (RF) seeker during recent conflicts. Speaking at a defence technology symposium in New Delhi on June 10, 2025, Dr. Pillai detailed how the BrahMos missile employs a sophisticated combination of RF seeker activation and inertial guidance to ensure stealth and precision, rendering it nearly impervious to electronic countermeasures.
Following India’s Operation Sindoor on May 10, 2025, which targeted multiple Pakistan Air Force (PAF) bases, including the strategically vital PAF Base Mushaf in Sargodha, Pakistani military officials claimed they had successfully employed soft-jamming techniques to disrupt the RF seekers of BrahMos missiles. Soft jamming, a form of electronic warfare, involves emitting low-power signals to confuse or mislead a missile’s guidance system without triggering its anti-jamming protocols. Pakistan’s narrative suggested that their Chinese-supplied air defence systems had neutralized the BrahMos, preventing accurate strikes on critical infrastructure.
These claims gained traction on platforms like X, where Pakistani defence accounts and commentators celebrated the alleged success of their electronic countermeasures. However, satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies and India’s KawaSpace, showing extensive damage to runways, taxiways, and hangars at Mushaf and other bases, contradicted Pakistan’s assertions, revealing the devastating impact of the BrahMos strikes.
Dr. Pillai, who served as CEO of BrahMos Aerospace from 2007 to 2018 and played a pivotal role in the missile’s development, provided a detailed rebuttal to Pakistan’s claims. He explained that the BrahMos, a supersonic cruise missile jointly developed by India and Russia, is designed with a hybrid guidance system that minimizes its vulnerability to electronic warfare.
“Well before reaching the vicinity of the target, the BrahMos briefly activates its RF seeker to acquire the target, then switches to inertial guidance—eliminating any detectable signal and ensuring stealth,” Dr. Pillai stated. This brief activation of the RF seeker, which uses radar to lock onto a target, occurs at a safe distance, allowing the missile to confirm its trajectory. Once the target is acquired, the missile transitions to inertial navigation, relying on internal gyroscopes and accelerometers to guide it to the target without emitting detectable signals.
This operational sequence makes it highly unlikely for adversaries to jam the missile’s guidance system. “The window for soft jamming is extremely narrow,” Dr. Pillai emphasized. “By the time an adversary detects the missile and attempts to deploy countermeasures, the BrahMos has already switched to inertial guidance, rendering jamming ineffective.” The missile’s stealth is further enhanced by its low-altitude flight profile and supersonic speed (Mach 2.8–3.0), which reduces the time available for enemy defences to respond.
During Operation Sindoor, launched in retaliation for a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian Air Force deployed air-launched BrahMos missiles to strike 11 PAF bases, including Mushaf, Nur Khan, Bholari, and Jacobabad. Satellite imagery confirmed significant damage, with craters on runways and taxiways grounding Pakistan’s elite squadrons of F-16s, JF-17 Thunders, and Mirage 5s. The precision of the strikes, which targeted critical infrastructure without causing widespread collateral damage, showcased the BrahMos’s accuracy and effectiveness.
Pakistan’s claim of soft jamming was likely an attempt to downplay the operation’s success, especially as the strikes exposed vulnerabilities in their air defence systems, including Chinese-supplied HQ-9 and LY-80 systems. Dr. Pillai’s clarification suggests that the BrahMos’s design inherently counters such electronic warfare tactics, aligning with India’s claims of a “measured and calibrated” strike that achieved its objectives.
The BrahMos missile, with its 290–400 km range (extendable to 800 km in upgraded variants) and 200–300 kg warhead, is a cornerstone of India’s defence strategy, particularly against Pakistan and in the Indo-Pacific region. Its ability to evade electronic countermeasures reinforces its reputation as one of the world’s most advanced supersonic cruise missiles. Dr. Pillai’s remarks not only debunk Pakistan’s claims but also send a broader message to potential adversaries about the missile’s reliability and India’s technological edge.
The successful deployment of BrahMos in Operation Sindoor, combined with Dr. Pillai’s technical insights, has sparked discussions on X and in defence circles about the evolving nature of missile warfare. Indian analysts have hailed the missile’s stealth capabilities, while some Pakistani commentators have questioned their military’s preparedness, particularly the reliance on foreign-supplied defence systems.
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