Kiev Unable to Shoot Down Joint India-Russia BrahMos Missile, Ukrainian Air Force Says
Kiev, Ukraine – In an announcement made by the Ukrainian Air Force, it has been revealed that they were unable to shoot down a joint India-Russia BrahMos missile. The BrahMos is a highly advanced supersonic missile being developed by India’s Army Research Center and Russia’s NPOM.
The BrahMos missiles, known for their exceptional speed, traveling at five times the speed of sound, are currently in use in India as Brahmos and in Russia as P-800 Onyx Yakhant missiles. These missiles have proven to be highly effective in combat.
Meanwhile, the war between Russia and Ukraine continues to escalate, with a variety of missiles being used in the conflict. Some of the missiles being deployed include the 3 M-14 Caliber, ZYP, 9K720 Iskander, RSM-56 Bulava, R-29 RM Stull, and R-29 Vysota.
Ukrainian military sources have reported that while they have been successful in shooting down other Russian missiles, they were unable to intercept the P-800 Onyx Yakhant missiles. These particular missiles travel at a staggering speed of 3,000 km per hour, making them extremely difficult to shoot down.
The Ukrainian army relies on advanced anti-missile defense systems from the US and European countries, which automatically intercept and destroy Russian missiles if they enter Ukrainian territory. However, the low flying height of the P-800 Onyx Yakhant missiles, ranging between 10 to 15 meters from land or sea levels, allows them to avoid detection by these defense systems.
Russian Defense Ministry officials have stated that out of the 470 P-800 Onyx Yakhant missiles in their possession, 123 have been used in combat. They emphasize that these missiles are reserved for highly important attacks.
In contrast, Indian Defense Ministry officials have highlighted the superiority of their domestically produced BrahMos missiles. With a range of 450 km, the BrahMos missiles are considered more capable than Russia’s P-800 Onyx Yakhant. Several countries, including the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia, have expressed interest in acquiring BrahMos missiles.
An agreement has already been signed with the Philippines for the procurement of Rs.3,103 crore worth of BrahMos missiles. Furthermore, India has plans to develop 1,500 km range BrahMos hypersonic missiles within the next five years, capable of traveling at speeds of 9,000 kmph.
As research for the hypersonic missiles is underway, Indian Defense Department officials remain confident in the future advancements of their missile technology.