Nuclear-capable BrahMos missile successfully test-fired

Jaisalmer, Jan 20 (PTI) India Tuesday successfully
test-fired the nuclear-capable BrahMos missile with a range of
290 kms at Pokhran in Rajasthan's desert in a planned launch
for the army.

The test comes in the midst of heightened tension between
India and Pakistan following the Mumbai terror attacks.
Defence Minister A K Antony told reporters in New Delhi that
the test was pre-planned and not directed against any country.

The missile, capable of touching a speed of 2.8 times
that of sound, was launched during the trial in its vertical
mode, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
officials told PTI.

Currently, the army has one regiment armed with the
BrahMos missile which is different from the version that was
test-fired today.

The present round of trials was earlier scheduled for
January 17 but was postponed till today. However, the DRDO
sources did not specify any reasons for the delay.

BrahMos is a missile that India is developing in
collaboration with Russia and is named after river Brahmputra
and Moscow.

During the visit of Russian Defence Minister Anatoly
Serdyukov to India late last year, an agreement was reached
between the two countries for development of a hyper-sonic
BrahMos missile. PTI NCB
SAK
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