Why in News?

• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) recently successfully test-fired the BrahMos surface-to-surface cruise missile with an indigenous booster .
• The supersonic missile is one of the prime precision-strike missiles used by all three forces, the Army, Navy and the Air Force.

About :

• BrahMos is a cruise missile, meaning it can be guided towards a pre-determined land- or sea-based target. 
• With a capability to attain speeds 2.8 times that of sound (Mach 2.8), BrahMos is classified as supersonic cruise missile. 
• A newer version under development is aimed at flying at speeds greater than Mach 5. These are called hypersonic cruise missiles. 
• Besides decreasing the reaction time of the enemy, higher speeds also substantially reduce the chances of the missile getting intercepted.
• An amalgam of the names of the rivers Brahmaputra and Moskva, BrahMos is being produced by BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture company set up by DRDO and Mashinostroyenia of Russia in 1998.

Benefits:

• BrahMos has been deployed in Ladakh as well as the Eastern Sector in Arunachal Pradesh to tackle any threats in the ongoing standoff with China.
• Enhanced use of indigenous technologies will give a boost to India’s AtmaNirbhar Bharat and Make in India Initiatives.

Reference:

1. https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/what-is-brahmos-missiles-latest-upgrade-6186558/
2. https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-successfully-test-fires-brahmos-supersonic-cruise-missile-from-chandipur-itr-in-odisha-6647818/