SOURCE: AFI
India’s defense capabilities are poised for a significant leap forward as the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, now with an extended range of 800 kilometers, is on track for induction into the Indian armed forces within the next two to three years. According to a report by the Indian Defence Research Wing (idrw.org), the missile successfully underwent its first test of the 800km variant in the Bay of Bengal earlier in 2025, marking a historic milestone in its development.
This extended-range BrahMos, known as the BrahMos-LR (Long Range), enhances India’s strategic reach, enabling precision strikes deep into enemy territory and reinforcing its deterrence posture against regional adversaries. As the missile progresses through further trials and refinements, its impending induction promises to reshape South Asia’s military dynamics, particularly in the context of recent tensions with Pakistan.
The successful test of the 800km-range BrahMos in early 2025, as reported by idrw.org, represents a breakthrough for BrahMos Aerospace, the Indo-Russian joint venture between India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya. The test, conducted from a warship in the Bay of Bengal, demonstrated the missile’s ability to strike land and sea targets with pinpoint accuracy at extended ranges, performing complex maneuvers at its signature Mach 3 speed. Defense expert Ranesh Rajan, quoted by idrw.org, emphasized the strategic implications: “This significantly boosts the offensive capabilities of the Indian military,” enabling safer standoff strikes against enemy warships and land-based targets.
The BrahMos-LR builds on the success of earlier variants, which were capped at 290km due to Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) restrictions. India’s entry into the MTCR in June 2016 lifted these limitations, allowing BrahMos Aerospace to extend the missile’s range first to 450km with the BrahMos-ER (Extended Range) variant in 2017, and now to 800km with the BrahMos-LR. The extended range was achieved by increasing the missile’s length to accommodate a larger fuel tank for its ramjet engine, ensuring sustained supersonic speed over greater distances.
The BrahMos missile, derived from Russia’s P-800 Oniks, is renowned for its speed (Mach 2.8–3.5), low radar cross-section, and “fire-and-forget” capability, making it nearly impossible to intercept. The 800km-range variant, tested in 2025, enhances these attributes by providing unprecedented operational flexibility. For the Indian Navy, it enables strikes on targets from safer distances in the Indian Ocean Region, while the Indian Army can now target strategic assets deep within Pakistan or Chinese-occupied Tibet. The Indian Air Force (IAF), with 40 Sukhoi-30 MKI fighters already modified to carry the 450km-range BrahMos-A, plans to integrate the 800km variant, further expanding its strike envelope.
BrahMos Aerospace has outlined a multi-phase trial schedule starting in 2026 to validate the BrahMos-LR’s performance under various conditions, focusing on propulsion efficiency, guidance accuracy, and reliability at 800km. These trials, expected to conclude within one to two years, will pave the way for production and induction by 2027–2028. The Indian Navy has already secured contracts for 220 BrahMos missiles, including extended-range variants, while the Indian Army is set to procure two additional regiments, each with approximately 100 missiles. The IAF aims to modify an additional 20 Su-30 MKIs to carry the 800km variant, bringing the total equipped fleet to 60 aircraft.
The BrahMos-LR incorporates significant indigenous advancements, aligning with India’s “Make in India” initiative. The missile features a domestically developed active radar seeker and fuel that remains stable at temperatures as low as -50°C, reducing reliance on Russian components. The new BrahMos Aerospace Integration and Testing Facility in Lucknow, completed in 2025 at a cost of ?300 crore, will support production and testing of the 800km variant, enhancing self-reliance in defense manufacturing. Plans for a hypersonic BrahMos-II, with speeds of Mach 6–8 and a 1,500km range, are also underway, potentially drawing on Russia’s 3M22 Zircon technology.
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