Tarun Karthick
Port Blair, 12 December 2023
In a unique farewell gesture, Brigadier Rahul Gupta, the Army Component Commander, concluded his more than 25-month tenure by paying a memorable visit to Admiral D K Joshi, the Hon’ble Lt Governor, A & N Islands, and Vice-Chairman of the Islands Development Agency on December 12, 2023, at Raj Niwas.
During this special occasion, Brig. Rahul Gupta presented a distinctive memento, a Booster Cap of the BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile. Recovered post-firing on October 10, 2023, by the Indian Army from Brichgunj, this particular Booster Cap had been ingeniously repurposed into a Trophy.
The BrahMos missile is a medium-range ramjet supersonic cruise missile, boasting versatility in its launch platforms, including submarines, ships, fighter aircraft, or TEL (Transporter Erector Launcher). Notably, the BrahMos holds the prestigious title of being the fastest supersonic cruise missile globally. Developed as a joint venture between the Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Russian Federation’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya, BrahMos Aerospace stands as a testament to strategic collaboration. The missile finds its foundation in the P-800 Oniks, known for its precision and speed.
The name BrahMos itself is a fusion of two influential rivers, the Brahmaputra of India and the Moskva of Russia, symbolising the fusion of Indian and Russian technological prowess.