The Indian Air Force has conducted a long-range BrahMos strike mission, with the missile launching from an air base in Punjab, refuelling in mid-air and hitting its target on a ship nearly 4000km away in the Indian Ocean.

The BrahMos (also designated as the PJ-10) is a medium-range ramjet supersonic cruise missile, which can be launched from submarines, ships, aircrafts and even land - and is designated as the fastest cruise missile in the world. This recent round of testing has been hailed as a transformative new weapon in their arsenal, especially in the aftermath of the 40-day border stand-off against Chinese army units in the desolate and isolated Galwan Valley.

The BrahMos missile system has also received 'fleet release clearance' from the Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification, the Indian government's regulatory and monitoring body which provides the final stamp of approval prior to active military use. In a statement from the BrahMos Corporation "The issuance of fleet release clearance certification has paved the way for pilots of Indian Air Force (IAF) squadrons to use the missile during combat missions”.

While the military integration of the BrahMos cruise missiles may not be specifically linked with the intense India-China border standoff, this rapid testing and combat clearance comes at a time when China has repeatedly deployed both ground and air assets to project their aggressive posturing along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh.