What Is BrahMos? Range, Speed, Variants and Who Buys It

BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile developed jointly by India and Russia, and one of the fastest operational cruise missiles in the world. It flies at about Mach 2.8, close to three times the speed of sound, can be launched from ships, submarines, trucks and aircraft, and is in service with all three Indian armed forces. In May 2025 India fired it in combat for the first time, against Pakistani airbases during Operation Sindoor. The Philippines became its first export customer in 2022.

This guide explains how BrahMos works, its versions and ranges, and who is buying it.

What is BrahMos?

BrahMos is built by BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture founded in 1998 between India’s DRDO, with a 50.5% share, and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya. Its name combines the Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers. The missile is based on the Russian P-800 Oniks and uses a solid-fuel booster followed by a liquid-fuelled ramjet. It flies low over the sea at supersonic speed, giving defenders very little time to react, and carries a warhead of about 200-300 kilograms.

Range and speed

The original BrahMos had a range of 290 kilometres, the limit for export under the Missile Technology Control Regime at the time. After India joined the regime in 2016, longer-range versions were developed: missiles in service now reach about 450-500 kilometres, and versions of up to about 800 kilometres have been tested. The air-launched BrahMos-A, carried under the Su-30MKI, adds the fighter’s range to the missile’s, allowing strikes far beyond India’s borders. Our earlier guide to BrahMos covers its history.

BrahMos in Operation Sindoor

In May 2025, after a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, India launched Operation Sindoor against targets in Pakistan. Indian officials said BrahMos missiles, many fired from Su-30MKI fighters, struck several Pakistani airbases with high precision. It was the missile’s first known combat use, and it was widely presented in India as proof of the weapon’s value. A new BrahMos production facility in Lucknow opened the same month. The wider campaign is covered in a later article in this series.

Who buys BrahMos?

The Philippines signed the first export contract in January 2022, worth about $375 million, for three coastal anti-ship batteries, and received the first deliveries in 2024. The missiles help it defend its claims in the South China Sea. Indonesia, Vietnam and other countries have held talks, and India sees BrahMos as the flagship of its effort to become an arms exporter. India’s other missiles are described in our guide to Indian missiles, and the world’s fastest missiles in our article on the 10 fastest missiles.

How does it compare?

BrahMos is much faster than subsonic Western cruise missiles such as Tomahawk and Harpoon, but has a shorter range than Tomahawk. China’s YJ-12 and YJ-18 are its closest equivalents, as described in our guide to Chinese anti-ship missiles. Its main weakness is size: at about 3 tonnes, only large aircraft such as the Su-30MKI can carry it, which is why the lighter BrahMos-NG is being developed.

Frequently asked questions

What is BrahMos?

A supersonic cruise missile developed jointly by India’s DRDO and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya, flying at about Mach 2.8.

What is the range of BrahMos?

Versions in service reach about 290-500 kilometres, and versions of up to about 800 kilometres have been tested.

How fast is BrahMos?

About Mach 2.8, nearly three times the speed of sound.

Has BrahMos been used in combat?

Yes. India fired BrahMos at Pakistani airbases during Operation Sindoor in May 2025.

Which countries buy BrahMos?

The Philippines is the first export customer, with a $375 million contract signed in 2022. Several other countries have held talks.

What is BrahMos-NG?

A smaller, lighter version of BrahMos in development, designed to be carried by more aircraft, including the Tejas and Rafale.