October 21, 2025

NEW DELHI: Get ready for some serious missile magic! India is on the fast track to bring in super-smart, super-powerful weapons by 2027. The star here is the upgraded BrahMos missile with an incredible 800-km range, doubling its striking power compared to the current 450-km version. The amazing BrahMos zooms at almost three times the speed of sound, hitting targets with pinpoint accuracy, just like during the May Operation Sindoor strikes deep inside Pakistan. The new 800-km BrahMos comes with a spiced-up ramjet engine and improved navigation systems that resist enemy jamming, making it a true game-changer, according to top defense officials. Navy and Army will be the first to get these missile boosters, as they can just tweak the software of existing launchers to fit the new powerful missiles. But air forces fans, hold tight—the air-launched version needs a bit more time to get ready. That’s not all! India’s missile kitchen is also cooking up Astra Mark-2 missiles with 200-km range, a big jump from the earlier 160 km. The Indian Air Force is set to get 700 of these for its Sukhoi-30MKI and Tejas jets. And the Astra family is growing fast: Astra Mark-3, with an amazing 350-km range, is on the horizon but needs about three years before it joins the flying force. Why is this important? Because earlier, during tough fights, India’s Air Force saw enemies using Chinese jets with long-range missiles beyond 200 km. Now, with all-weather Astra missiles that can fight night and day, India will rely less on expensive foreign missiles from Russia, France, and Israel. BrahMos missiles are already stars, with deals totalling over Rs 58,000 crore. The Navy got its largest ever order last year—over Rs 19,000 crore for 220 missiles, arming 20 warships. After the success of Operation Sindoor, the Defence Acquisition Council greenlit another 110 air-launched BrahMos for the Air Force worth Rs 10,800 crore. Looking ahead, the land version of the 800-km BrahMos will join forces with other powerful weapons like the 400-km Pralay ballistic missile and 1,000-km Nirbhay cruise missile derivatives in the future Integrated Rocket Force. So, the countdown has begun for India’s big leap in missile power—getting deadlier, faster, and more precise than ever before!

Read More at Timesofindia →

Tags: Brahmos missile, Astra missile, Indian air force, Supersonic cruise missile, Defense upgrades,