India's BrahMos Missile Scores Big in Damaging Pakistani Air-bases

India fired some 15 BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles along with French SCALP missiles at Pakistani air bases on the night of May 9-10 causing varying degrees of damage to some of them.

This is reported by India Today citing Indian defense sources.

Compared to the SCALP, the heavier BrahMos is faster and flies a greater distance in supersonic mode making it difficult to track and intercept.

The BrahMos, launched from the Su-30MKI, is an indigenous Indian development and has no parallel in Russia. Though the missile itself is the result of a Russia-India joint venture, the launcher and pylon to mount the heavy missile on the Su-30MKI was developed exclusively in India.

India’s precision strikes reportedly damaged 11 of Pakistan’s 13 major airbases, disrupting its air defence systems and forcing the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) to relocate aircraft to rear bases. According to the report citing defense sources, the Indian operation targeted vital facilities, including radar installations, UAV hangars, and surveillance systems.

The Indian counter-strike came after Pakistan attempted a multi-pronged drone and missile attack on Indian military sites in the northern and western sectors during the night of May 7–8. Cities such as Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Ludhiana, and Bhuj were among the targets. However, India’s Integrated Air Defence Systems intercepted and neutralised all incoming threats.

India’s response was executed in phases. On the morning of May 8, Indian forces first targeted Pakistani air defence radars, including one located in Lahore. This was followed by an intensified air campaign on May 9–10 led by the IAF, with aircraft from the Western and South Western Air Commands launching precision strikes using supersonic BrahMos missiles.

“The operation was overseen by the Chief of Defence Staff and carried out with high-level coordination,” said a senior official. The BrahMos was chosen as the lead strike weapon on the recommendation of the National Security Advisor, the official added.

As part of the strategy, India deployed pilotless target aircraft to trigger Pakistan’s air defence systems. Once active, these systems were hit by Harop loitering munitions, or kamikaze drones, clearing the path for cruise missile attacks. One of the notable hits was on a hangar in Sindh, where Pakistan reportedly lost key equipment including UAVs and a surveillance aircraft.

On May 11, India inaugurated a new BrahMos missile production facility in Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow city, aiming to produce 80-100 of these supersonic cruise missiles annually.