Lucknow: A team from Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has unveiled one of the fastest, medium-range ramjet supersonic cruise missiles – BrahMos – that can be launched from ships, submarine, aircraft or land at the ongoing DefExpo 2020 in Lucknow.

Lt Gen PR Shankar from the department of aerospace engineering at IIT Madras and a retired director general of artillery said they are on the verge of a breakthrough in ramjet technology, where they will be doubling the range of attack. This is said to increase the capabilities of India’s combat significantly.

Technically, the 155mm ramjet missile has a maximum range of 70 to 80 km and can hit targets with pinpoint accuracy, say defence experts.

Further, Lt Gen Shankar said ramjet-powered artillery was one of the cutting-edge technology in the defence sector, and the range can differ based on the ratio of oxygen and igniting agents. Unlike normal missiles, ramjet uses atmospheric oxygen to burn fuel thereby giving that medium-range it requires to hit the target, precisely.

Most importantly, the missile technology developed by IIT Madras can reduce India’s expenditure on imported ramjet missiles by 20 per cent.

IIT Madras is also showcasing other projects such as multi-role expendable unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones and next-gen fire control network platform which will ensure that all guns and missiles in an area work in a unified manner to produce a force multiplicative effort.