NEW DELHI: In what will be a major boost for its precision strike capabilities, India plans to begin inducting the new 800-km extended range BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles in a little over two years, while over 200km Astra air-to-air missiles are also slated for production in 2026-27. Tests are underway for the 800-km BrahMos, with a modified ramjet engine and other upgrades, to ensure the conventional (non-nuclear) missile is fully ready by end-2027, top defence sources told TOI. The existing 450-km range BrahMos missiles, which fly at almost three times the speed of sound at Mach 2.8, were launched from Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jets for the targeted strikes deep into Pakistan under Operation Sindoor in May. “The 800-km BrahMos is more or less developed in terms of the modifications

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