India test-fired the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile for the first time from a Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jet on Wednesday, a move the government says will bolster the Indian Air Force’s combat operations. This reported by Hindustan Times.

The defence ministry said the test completed “the tactical cruise missile triad for India”. Submarine-, ground- and aircraft-based missiles constitute what the military calls a triad.

The “world’s fastest supersonic cruise missile” hit a sea-based target in the Bay of Bengal from the frontline fighter jet.

“The missile was gravity dropped from the Su-30 from fuselage, and the two stage missile’s engine fired up and straightway propelled towards the intended target at the sea in Bay of Bengal,” the defence ministry said in an official release.

Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman congratulated BrahMos team and the Defence Research and Development Organisation after the missile test. “India has created a world record and completed Supersonic Cruise Missile Triad by successfully testing BrahMos ALCM from Indian Air Force Sukhoi-30MKI fighter aircraft,” she tweeted.

Brahmos ALCM – weighing 2.5 tonne – is the heaviest weapon to be deployed on India’s Su-30 fighter aircraft, modified by HAL to carry weapons. It is a joint venture between the DRDO and Russia’s bureau of rocket designing.

“Brahmos, the world-class weapon with multi-platform, multi-mission role is now capable of being launched from Land, Sea and Air...,” the ministry said.