The Indian Navy has successfully test-fired the BrahMos supersonic anti-ship cruise missile, the Indian-Russian joint venture BrahMos Aerospace said on Sunday.

The missile, fired from a new vertical launch pad, hit the target in the Bay of Bengal, BrahMos Aerospace said.

The BrahMos missile has a range of 290 km (180 miles) and can carry a conventional warhead of up to 300 kg (660 lbs). It can effectively engage ground targets from an altitude as low as 10 meters (30 feet) and has a top speed of Mach 2.8, which is about three times faster than the U.S.-made subsonic Tomahawk cruise missile.

Established in 1998, BrahMos Aerospace produces and markets BrahMos supersonic missiles. The sea-based and land-based versions have been successfully tested and put into service with the Indian Army and Navy.

NEW DELHI, March 21 (RIA Novosti)