"The BrahMos missile was launched at 11.18 am (0548 GMT) from the Indian destroyer INS Rajput off the Bay of Bengal and it successfully hit a target at sea," said the defence official.

India last fired its BrahMos, 280-kilometre (about 175-mile) range missile in November last year. It will arm Indian warships and submarines, and has been tested six times since its development by Indian and Russian experts in

BrahMos was on display at the January 26 Republic Day military parade, and an unspecified number of countries are said to be interested in buying the cruise missile, which carries a conventional warhead.

India has developed an array of ballistic missiles in its goal to achieve military self-reliance and eventually become a major player in the global arms bazaar.

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