India's Next-Gen Missile Surpasses BrahMos, Extends Range Beyond 500 KM

Although it hasn't received an official name yet, similar to how Indian missiles are typically named Prithvi, Agni, or even BrahMos (derived from Brahmaputra and Moscow), a new missile is on the horizon that is expected to have a significant impact.

The inaugural test of this missile, provisionally named LRASM (Long Range Anti Ship Missile), is scheduled to take place in the early part of the upcoming month in the Bay of Bengal, off the coast of Orissa.

This DRDO project involves the development of a missile with an impressive range of over 500 kilometers, surpassing the BrahMos, the Indo-Russian cruise missile, which originally had a range of 290 kilometers and now boasts approximately 350 kilometers.

Since this is the initial development trial, it's important to note that these are early stages, and it may take around seven years before warships in the Indian Navy are equipped with this advanced missile.

Its extended range as a ship-launched missile will significantly bolster the Navy's capabilities. Given the increasing presence of Chinese warships in the Indian Ocean, this missile could serve as a potent deterrent.

In the future, there will be a need for missiles with a range exceeding 500 kilometers. While the US Harpoon missile currently has a range of 150 kilometers or less, and the Tomahawk missile, with its impressive 2,500-kilometer range, is primarily designed for land attack purposes, efforts are underway in the United States to develop an anti-ship missile with an approximate range of 900 kilometers.