Trump afraid of India’s BrahMos missile? US President feared that India could arm its most powerful weapon during Operation Sindoor with…, shocking report reveals…
US President Donald Trump has been attacking India lately. He recently announced a trade deal with Pakistan, touting a joint initiative to develop oil reserves in India’s terror-harbouring neighbour and even floated the idea that “some day” Islamabad might sell oil to New Delhi. On multiple occasions, Trump has also claimed that he mediated the recent ceasefire between India and Pakistan, as well as helped resolve several other global conflicts — thus implying that he played a role in easing tensions in the ongoing public debate within diplomatic circles.
Earlier on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump hinted that more “secondary sanctions” could be imposed shortly after the US President announced an additional 25 percent against India in response to India being singled out for these additional sanctions. Now, a new report by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) has sent shockwaves around the world — revealing that the person perhaps least likely to fear anything anywhere — Trump — was admittedly fearful of India.
What triggered fears in the White House during Operation Sindoor?
American newspaper The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that US President Donald Trump was “alarmed” by India’s Operation Sindoor. The report noted that Trump’s concern came primarily in relation to India’s BrahMos missile, which was reportedly used against Pakistani airbases.
Is US President Donald Trump afraid of India’s BrahMos missile?
According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, the Trump Administration was concerned that the potential escalation could lead to a nuclear confrontation. The report said that while the U.S. intelligence had concluded the possibility of a BrahMos missile being loaded with a nuclear warhead. This led to speedy, high-level discussions inside the White House.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report stated, “Trump feared that India might decide to equip one of the missiles with a nuclear bomb if the crisis spiraled out of control, officials said, or that Pakistan could decide to launch a nuclear device of its own, leading Trump to encourage Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to call their counterparts.”
Citing both current and former officials from the Donald Trump administration, the report claims that U.S. officials believed the BrahMos missile — jointly developed by India and Russia — is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.
How did India respond to US fears of nuclear escalation?
As per the Economic Times, India, on the other hand, dismissed those concerns. The country has a “No First Use” nuclear doctrine, as officials at the Indian Embassy in Washington told the Wall Street Journal, and the BrahMos should not have caused “nuclear escalation” concern at all.
India has always strongly asserted that BrahMos missiles, although with highly precise capability, are just conventional weapon systems. They are not controlled by the Strategic Forces Command (SFC). The missiles are merely operated tactically by the Indian Army, Navy, and Indian Air Force for its operations. The BrahMos missile has a warhead weighing between approximately 200 and 300 kgs and is used to hit enemy assets such as bunkers, radars, and runways.
What is the BrahMos missile system?
The BrahMos missile system is a joint venture between India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya. It was inducted into service in the early 2000s and is named after the Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers.
What role did BrahMos missile system play during Operation Sindoor?
Currently, BrahMos is the only active supersonic cruise missile in the world. This missile can reach speeds of up to Mach 2.8, operate at an altitude of 15 kilometers, and can go as low as 10 meters during its terminal phase to evade radar detection and interception.
As part of Operation Sindoor, India launched BrahMos missiles against Pakistani terror infrastructure and military installations, in response to the Pahalgam terror strike. According to the media reports, on May 7, the missiles hit not only launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) but also air bases deep inside Pakistan. The missile strikes are alleged to have destroyed critical assets, including runways, hangars, and bunkers. India used air-launched and ground-launched variants during this operation.
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