India's BrahMos vs USA's Tomahawk, Russia's Kalibr and China's YJ-18: Why nations are lining up for the Make-in-India missile

Make-in-India supersonic cruise missile Brahmos, as per reports, is attracting growing international interest with at least six nations reaching out to New Delhi for procurement. This means that India's BrahMos missile is no longer just a symbol of military strength. It is increasingly becoming one of the country's most sought-after defence exports.

After the Philippines became the first foreign operator of the missile, several other countries have either entered negotiations or expressed interest. Vietnam and Indonesia are among the most advanced prospective buyers, while reports suggest Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Thailand, Brazil and Chile are also exploring the system.

But what makes BrahMos stand out in an increasingly crowded missile market?

Here's how India's flagship missile compares with some of the world's most prominent cruise missile systems.

The BrahMos is often described as one of the fastest operational cruise missiles currently in service.

Its biggest selling point is speed, but range, flexibility and combat roles also shape how it compares with rival systems from the US, Russia, China and Europe.

BrahMos flies at roughly Mach 2.8 to Mach 3 throughout most of its flight.

That makes it significantly faster than many Western cruise missiles.

- BrahMos (India): Mach 2.8 to 3.0
- Tomahawk (US): Around Mach 0.8
- Storm Shadow/SCALP (Europe): Around Mach 0.8
- Kalibr (Russia): Mostly subsonic
- YJ-18 (China): Subsonic before accelerating to Mach 2.5 to 3 in the final phase

The higher speed gives defenders less time to react and intercept incoming missiles.

Speed is BrahMos's strength. Range is where some competitors have the advantage.

- BrahMos Export Version: 290 km
- BrahMos Indian Variant: 400 to 450+ km
- Tomahawk (USA): Around 1,600 km
- Kalibr (Russia): Up to 2,500 km
- YJ-18 (China): 220 to 540 km
- Storm Shadow/SCALP (Europe): More than 250 km

While India is developing longer-range versions, American and Russian systems currently operate at much greater distances.

Unlike some competitors designed mainly for one mission, BrahMos can perform multiple roles.

It can be launched from:

- Land
- Warships
- Submarines
- Fighter aircraft

This flexibility makes it attractive for countries seeking a single missile for different operational requirements.

Tomahawk (USA): The Tomahawk remains one of the most battle-tested cruise missiles in the world. It is primarily a long-range land-attack missile, primarily meant for deep land-attack missions and precision strikes against strategic targets.

YJ-18 (China): China's YJ-18 is mainly an anti-ship missile and forms an important part of China's maritime strategy.

Kalibr (Russia): Russia's Kalibr has both anti-ship and land-attack variants.

Storm Shadow/SCALP (Europe): It is primarily a land-attack cruise missile designed to strike fixed, hardened bunkers and infrastructure.

Modern cruise missiles rely on multiple navigation systems. Here's how BrahMos compares to its rivals.

BrahMos:

- Inertial Navigation System (INS)
- Satellite navigation (GPS/GLONASS/NavIC variants)
- Active Radar Homing (ARH)

Tomahawk:

- GPS
- INS
- TERCOM
- DSMAC

Storm Shadow:

- GPS and INS
- Terrain matching
- Infrared imaging
- Advanced target recognition

YJ-18:

- INS
- Real-time positioning updates from the indigenous BeiDou Navigation Satellite System
- Active Radar Homing (ARH)

Kalibr:

- INS
- Primary guidance relies on GLONASS (Russia’s satellite navigation network)
- ARH

In practical terms, all five systems are considered highly accurate modern precision weapons.

For many potential buyers, BrahMos offers a combination that few rivals can match:

- Supersonic speed
- Multi-platform launch capability
- Proven operational performance
- Competitive cost
- Strong India-Russia technology partnership