Popular BrahMos missiles used during Operation Sindoor, confirms UP CM Yogi Adityanath

In what could be a landmark moment in India’s military history, the BrahMos missile combat debut may have taken place early Saturday morning, 10 May, as the Indian Air Force reportedly executed precision strikes on Pakistani military installations across multiple high-value targets.

According to The Indian Express and corroborated by multiple open-source intelligence trackers, this unprecedented operation — potentially named Operation Sindoor — is believed to have deployed India’s prized BrahMos supersonic cruise missile in live combat for the first time. The targets, deep within Pakistani territory, included critical airbases and radar stations such as Rafiqui, Nur Khan, Murid, Sukkur, and Chunian, among others.

Additional hits were reported at Skardu, Bholari, Jacobabad, and Sargodha airfields, along with radar stations in Pasrur and Sialkot — all of which are pivotal in Pakistan’s northern and central defence architecture.

BrahMos Missile Combat Debut: A Turning Point

Though the Ministry of Defence has not issued an official confirmation, senior defence analysts suggest that the use of BrahMos, alongside SCALP and HAMMER munitions, marked a deliberate and calibrated signal of India’s technological edge. A key factor lending credibility to the claim was the statement from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who said during the inauguration of a BrahMos facility in Lucknow:

“You must have seen a glimpse of the BrahMos missile during Operation Sindoor. If not, just ask the people of Pakistan about its power.”

This cryptic remark, when paired with strike precision and satellite imagery showing surgical damage patterns, has ignited widespread speculation about the BrahMos missile combat debut being not only real, but successful.

What Provoked the Operation?

The strikes were said to be in retaliation to attempted Pakistani airspace violations and attacks that reportedly targeted a healthcare centre and school premises in Srinagar, Avantipur, and Udhampur. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri reiterated India’s commitment to de-escalation but underscored the necessity of proportional response when civilian areas are attacked.

Colonel Sofiya Qureshi further emphasized that Pakistan’s alleged strikes constituted violations of international humanitarian norms. Indian officials have strongly rejected Islamabad’s counterclaims of damaging Indian installations, instead displaying time-stamped visuals of untouched bases like Sirsa and Suratgarh to counter “malicious misinformation.”

What Makes the BrahMos So Formidable?

Jointly developed by India’s DRDO and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyenia, the BrahMos missile is named after two iconic rivers — the Brahmaputra (India) and Moskva (Russia). It’s a symbol of enduring Indo-Russian defence cooperation and stands as one of the fastest cruise missiles in the world.

Key Features:

• Speed: Up to Mach 3

• Altitude: Cruises at 15 km, can skim 10 metres above ground

• Guidance: “Fire and forget” with precision targeting

• Stealth: Low radar cross-section

• Impact Energy: Up to 9x that of conventional subsonic cruise missiles

The missile’s blistering velocity, terrain-hugging capabilities, and pinpoint accuracy render most enemy air defence systems ineffective.

BrahMos by the Numbers

• Standard Range: 290 km

• Extended Range (Tested): 450–800 km

• Future Range (Planned): Up to 1,500 km

• Warhead: 200–300 kg (Conventional high-explosive)

• Launch Platforms: Air, land, sea, and submarine

• Unit Cost: ₹34 crore (approx.)

Deployment Timeline:

• 2001: First test

• 2005: Indian Navy’s induction via INS Rajput

• 2007: Indian Army regiments operational

• 2017 onward: Air-launched BrahMos from Sukhoi-30MKI

India is now developing three next-gen variants:

• BrahMos Extended Range – Strategic reach beyond 1,500 km

• BrahMos-II Hypersonic – Aiming for Mach 8

• BrahMos-NG – Lighter and platform-flexible

Strategic Implications of the BrahMos Missile Combat Debut

If verified, this weekend’s BrahMos missile combat debut is a strategic game-changer. Not only does it underline India’s willingness to leverage advanced strike assets in real-time conflict, but it also signals a shift from passive deterrence to active defence posturing.

Military experts believe this could have ripple effects across Asia, as regional players recalibrate their threat perceptions. The deployment also bolsters India’s credibility in the global arms market, particularly among nations interested in acquiring a proven, fast, and flexible weapon system.

Boosting Domestic Defence Production

The newly inaugurated BrahMos Aerospace Integration and Testing Facility in Lucknow is expected to expedite production and reduce delivery timelines. It also marks a major push toward self-reliance under the “Make in India” initiative.

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