NEW DELHI, Sept 5 — India today test-fired an advanced version of a supersonic cruise missile, officials said, as part of the country’s drive to boost its defence system. The Brahmos, which can travel at up to 2.8 times the speed of sound and has a range of 290km, was tested at a test range in the eastern state of Orissa.

“It was a fantastic test. It met all mission requirements,” S.P. Dash, director of the test range, told Reuters.

The Brahmos, named after India’s Brahmaputra River and Russia’s Moscow River, was developed by a joint venture between India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyen.

“The missile flew in the designated complex trajectory including large manoeuvres and a steep dive,” a Brahmos spokesperson said. — Reuters