BrahMos-A is not suitable for Vietnam's Su-30MK2

The Indian Air Force recently successfully tested the launch of the BrahMos-A supersonic air-to-ship cruise missile for the first time from the Su-30MKI multi-role fighter.

The successful launch of the BrahMos-A missile is said to have opened a new chapter for the Indian Air Force's long-range strike capabilities.

With the 300 km range of BrahMos-A plus the 1,500 km range of Su-30MKI, this duo is capable of remotely stopping an attack by an entire fleet of enemy warships.

Thanks to the Su-30MKI's high ceiling, which eliminates the radio-frequency horizon limit, the fighter can launch BrahMos-A from beyond the air defense range of even the most advanced warships.

Extremely fast speed up to Mach 3, flying only 10 meters above the sea surface when entering the attack phase, heavy slow-explosive warhead... BrahMos-A is India's trump card if war breaks out at sea.

BrahMos-A missile on display at a military exhibition.

In addition to meeting the requirements of the Indian Navy, according to many military analysts, this weapon also has high export potential, especially to some strategic partners of New Delhi, in that list of course includes Vietnam.

So if India is ready to sell, can Vietnam soon own the above advanced weapon to strengthen the Su-30MK2? Unfortunately, the answer is no.

Weapon allocation diagram according to the suspension limit of Su-30MK2 fighter.

The Su-30MK2 multi-role fighter has a maximum weapons load of 8 tons, however the bombs and ammunition must be spread evenly on the pylons, the largest being the 3 heavy hardpoints in the middle of the fuselage and the innermost part of the wings, which can withstand the load of the 1.5 ton KAB-1500KR bomb.

Meanwhile, the weight of BrahMos-A is up to 2.5 tons, exceeding the limit of the suspension mount for Su-30MK2, making this fighter unable to carry BrahMos-A.

This is actually nothing new, previously India also had to reinforce the Su-30MKI's fuselage to be able to receive the above special weapon.

The BrahMos-M missile would be a more suitable weapon for the Su-30MK2.

If Vietnam still wants to possess the air-to-ship version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, we will have to wait until the BrahMos-M (BrahMos Mini) version is completed.

The weight of BrahMos-M as announced by the manufacturer is exactly 1,500 kg, which means it is completely compatible with Su-30MK2 without requiring a fuselage upgrade. This type of fighter will be able to carry up to 3 BrahMos-M missiles instead of just 1 like BrahMos-A.

Hopefully, the success of the recent BrahMos-A test launch will be a catalyst for the early completion of research and development of the BrahMos-M.

According to Baodatviet