The Indian Air Force (IAF) is set to expand its formidable long-range strike capability by upgrading an additional 20 Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jets to carry the BrahMos-A air-launched cruise missile. The expansion—on top of the 40 Su-30MKIs already modified—will result in a 60-strong fleet of BrahMos-equipped aircraft, significantly enhancing India’s capacity to deliver precision strikes at supersonic speeds without breaching enemy airspace.
The BrahMos-A is the air-launched variant of the Indo-Russian BrahMos missile family. Weighing 2.5 tons, it delivers devastating impact at speeds of Mach 2.8 to Mach 3, with a range currently pegged between 400–500 kilometers and an extended range version in advanced stages of development. With pinpoint accuracy and terrain-hugging capability, it enables the Indian Air Force to neutralize key enemy assets from deep within Indian borders.
This latest decision marks not just a quantitative leap in aerial firepower but a qualitative shift in India’s airpower doctrine: from reactive to pre-emptive, from close support to strategic dominance.
The Su-30MKI is no ordinary multirole fighter. Developed jointly by Russia’s Sukhoi and India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), it is the IAF’s most capable air-dominance platform. With super-maneuverability, long range, and advanced avionics, the aircraft forms the backbone of India’s fighter fleet. However, its transformation into a long-range strike aircraft capable of carrying the BrahMos-A has required extensive structural and electronic modifications.
Each Su-30MKI modified for BrahMos-A undergoes airframe strengthening to withstand the aerodynamic pressures of high-speed, high-altitude missile deployment. The integration also requires custom wiring, avionics upgrades, and installation of a specially designed release mechanism. Due to the missile’s size and weight, each aircraft carries only one at a time, mounted under the fuselage.
Despite this limitation, the strategic utility of even a single BrahMos-A per sortie is enormous. Its standoff capability allows Indian pilots to remain well outside contested airspace while striking enemy radar stations, command centers, or warships hundreds of kilometers away.
The expansion to a 60-aircraft BrahMos-A fleet reflects a carefully calibrated response to India’s evolving threat environment, particularly the dual challenge posed by China and Pakistan. In a potential two-front conflict scenario, these aircraft serve as India’s swift, survivable response mechanism—capable of degrading enemy infrastructure with surgical precision, all without crossing borders.
Senior IAF officials confirm that the 20 additional upgrades will begin later this year, with a targeted completion by 2027. This timeline aligns with the IAF’s broader modernization roadmap, including the induction of domestically produced LCA Tejas Mk1A fighters and the upcoming AMCA stealth aircraft.
The enhanced BrahMos-A force also opens the door for a third dedicated BrahMos air squadron, further distributing strike capabilities across India’s strategic frontiers—from the western desert border with Pakistan to the Himalayan front with China and the maritime expanses of the Indian Ocean.
Co-developed by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyenia, BrahMos has become a symbol of India’s indigenous missile prowess. The name is a portmanteau of two rivers: the Brahmaputra in India and the Moskva in Russia—symbolizing the deep technological partnership between the two countries.
BrahMos-A is designed specifically for air launch and differs from its land- and sea-based counterparts. It features a lighter airframe and additional control surfaces for aerial stability, while retaining its hallmark traits: supersonic velocity, high precision, and low radar signature.
Capable of sea-skimming and terrain-hugging flight profiles, the missile can evade enemy radar and air defences with alarming effectiveness. Its onboard active radar seeker ensures accurate terminal guidance, making it ideal for high-value strategic targets like surface-to-air missile sites, enemy airfields, radar arrays, and naval vessels.
The next-generation version of BrahMos-A, currently in development, is expected to offer ranges up to 800 kilometers and a reduced radar cross-section, cementing India’s lead in the global supersonic missile space.
While official records remain classified, sources familiar with Operation Sindoor in May 2025 suggest the BrahMos-A saw operational deployment in simulated airstrikes on key infrastructure in Pakistan. These strikes, carried out as part of India’s tri-service readiness drills, reportedly utilized decoy aircraft and EW (electronic warfare) measures, culminating in precision hits with standoff munitions.
Though non-lethal in nature, the exercise sent a clear strategic message: India has the tools and tactics to execute cross-border strikes without risking its frontline pilots or escalating into full-blown conflict. BrahMos-A was the spearhead of this message—fast, lethal, and invisible until it hit.
India is not the only nation eyeing the BrahMos-A’s strategic edge. Malaysia, which operates a variant of the Su-30—the Su-30MKM—is reportedly in talks with BrahMos Aerospace for possible integration of the missile onto its air fleet. Such a deal would significantly bolster the Royal Malaysian Air Force’s (RMAF) ability to deter Chinese maritime adventurism in the South China Sea.
If the deal materializes, it will mark the first export of an air-launched supersonic cruise missile in the Indo-Pacific—a region witnessing increasing air-sea tensions, power projection, and weapons procurement races.
In addition, India is exploring regional co-production and maintenance arrangements that would further reduce costs and enhance operational interoperability with friendly air forces.
- Extended Reach and Escalation Control
With a combat radius exceeding 3,000 km for the Su-30MKI and missile ranges of up to 500 km, BrahMos-A ensures that Indian strike assets can engage deep targets without crossing into adversary airspace—thus sidestepping legal and diplomatic thresholds while preserving escalation control.
- First-Mover Advantage in Supersonic Standoff Warfare
While other regional powers continue to rely on subsonic cruise missiles like Pakistan’s Ra’ad or China’s CJ-10, India’s BrahMos-A offers an unmatched combination of speed, accuracy, and survivability. At Mach 3, the missile is nearly impossible to intercept using conventional air defence systems.
- Force Multiplication Without New Airframes
Rather than purchase new bombers or multirole aircraft, India is maximizing value from its existing Su-30MKI fleet. The upgrade path is cost-effective, minimizes logistical disruption, and leverages established maintenance ecosystems—making it a model for smart military modernization.
- Deterrence Through Visibility
A fleet of 60 BrahMos-capable fighters represents a highly visible and credible deterrent. The very knowledge that India possesses the ability to strike with pinpoint accuracy at hypersonic-like speeds serves as a psychological check on adversarial aggression.
Despite its many advantages, integrating and maintaining a fleet of BrahMos-A-equipped aircraft is no small feat. Each modified Su-30MKI requires regular flight certification, missile alignment checks, and complex software calibration to ensure launch precision. Training aircrews to operate and simulate strikes with this unique weapon also demands high standards of discipline and coordination.
Moreover, geopolitical uncertainty in India’s supply chains—especially with Russia—could complicate future upgrade timelines. However, India has steadily increased its domestic content in the BrahMos program, with plans to locally produce seeker heads, propulsion components, and launch systems in the coming years.
Meanwhile, the DRDO and BrahMos Aerospace are also working on a miniaturized version of the missile—tentatively called BrahMos-NG (Next Gen)—which could potentially allow multirole fighters like the Tejas or Rafale to carry two or even three missiles per sortie.
In a region bristling with conventional and unconventional threats, the ability to launch standoff strikes without entering enemy airspace is not just a tactical convenience—it’s a doctrinal pivot. India’s decision to expand its BrahMos-A-equipped fleet is not a one-off upgrade but part of a broader transformation in how it views airpower: survivable, scalable, and strategically sovereign.
The 60 Su-30MKIs armed with BrahMos-A will not merely sit on tarmacs waiting for war. They are a standing message—a high-speed, radar-evading signal of India’s readiness, reach, and resolve.
As one senior Air Force official succinctly put it: “We’re not preparing for war. We’re preparing to make sure no one starts one.”
