India, BrahMos and a nuclear what-if: Trump feared India might nuke Pakistan during Op Sindoor, reveals report
As India launched BrahMos cruise missiles at Pakistani military targets in early May, US officials were on edge. According to a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report published on Saturday, the Trump administration feared the crisis might spiral into a nuclear confrontation. US intelligence, the report said, assessed the capacity of a BrahMos missile carrying a nuclear warhead. This led to urgent discussions in the White House.
“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,” the WSJ report stated.
The concerns weren’t just about India. The possibility of Pakistan retaliating with its own nuclear arsenal added to the alarm. ET has not been able to independently verify these reports.
India has consistently said that the BrahMos missile, while powerful and precise, is strictly a conventional weapon. It is not managed by the Strategic Forces Command (SFC), the military body that oversees India’s nuclear assets.
Instead, BrahMos is operated by the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force for tactical missions. It carries a conventional warhead of 200 to 300 kilograms and is used to hit enemy assets like bunkers, radar systems, and runways.
BrahMos remains the only supersonic cruise missile currently in active military use worldwide. Capable of reaching speeds of up to Mach 2.8, it flies at altitudes as high as 15 km and can drop to as low as 10 metres in its final approach to evade radar and interception.
Its design includes a two-stage propulsion system. A solid-fuel booster ignites first, followed by a liquid-fuelled ramjet during its cruise phase. Once fired, it requires no mid-course corrections. This “fire-and-forget” capability, combined with its speed and low-altitude flight, makes it extremely difficult to stop.
The strikes reportedly destroyed runways, hangars and bunkers. Both air-launched and ground-launched versions were used in the mission. The success of these strikes has directly influenced India’s decision to expand its missile inventory.
“India will continue to make sovereign decisions in the interest of national security. No external pressure will influence our defence preparedness,” a senior defence official told India Today, in a clear reference to ongoing criticism from the US over India’s military partnership with Russia.
“During Operation Sindoor, the world saw the capabilities of our indigenous weapons. Our Air Defence Systems, missiles, and drones have proved the strength of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat', especially the BrahMos missiles,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, acknowledging the system’s frontline performance.
The government is also backing the next iteration of the missile. The BrahMos-II, still in development, will use scramjet propulsion and is expected to reach speeds up to Mach 9. Inspired by Russia’s Zircon missile, it aims to greatly enhance both range and velocity.
This programme, however, has seen delays. Initially announced in 2008, it was held up by Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) restrictions which prevented Russia from transferring certain technologies. Those limits were eased after India joined the MTCR in 2016, but progress has been slow due to high costs and complex engineering hurdles.
India’s position has remained consistent. Whether it is continuing defence trade with Russia or buying energy, the country has pushed back against external interference.
The BrahMos programme, with its focus on indigenous development and joint collaboration, symbolises India’s broader strategy: to build and control its own defence capabilities, answerable to no foreign capital.
While the US reacted with alarm during Operation Sindoor, India’s leadership saw it as a demonstration of discipline, precision and strength. The missile was used not as a threat but as a tool, deployed deliberately, conventionally and within limits.
For India, that distinction matters. And it’s not changing course.
“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,” the WSJ report stated.
The concerns weren’t just about India. The possibility of Pakistan retaliating with its own nuclear arsenal added to the alarm. ET has not been able to independently verify these reports.
India reasserts BrahMos is conventional, not nuclear
India, for its part, dismissed these fears. Officials at the Indian Embassy in Washington told WSJ that the country adheres to a “No First Use” nuclear policy and that BrahMos should not have triggered concerns about nuclear escalation.India has consistently said that the BrahMos missile, while powerful and precise, is strictly a conventional weapon. It is not managed by the Strategic Forces Command (SFC), the military body that oversees India’s nuclear assets.
Instead, BrahMos is operated by the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force for tactical missions. It carries a conventional warhead of 200 to 300 kilograms and is used to hit enemy assets like bunkers, radar systems, and runways.
The BrahMos missile: Fast, precise, widely deployed
The BrahMos missile system is a joint venture between India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya. It was named after the Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers and entered service in the early 2000s.BrahMos remains the only supersonic cruise missile currently in active military use worldwide. Capable of reaching speeds of up to Mach 2.8, it flies at altitudes as high as 15 km and can drop to as low as 10 metres in its final approach to evade radar and interception.
Its design includes a two-stage propulsion system. A solid-fuel booster ignites first, followed by a liquid-fuelled ramjet during its cruise phase. Once fired, it requires no mid-course corrections. This “fire-and-forget” capability, combined with its speed and low-altitude flight, makes it extremely difficult to stop.
Targeted strikes during Operation Sindoor
During Operation Sindoor, India used BrahMos missiles to target Pakistani terror infrastructure and military facilities in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. On May 7, several missiles struck launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and air bases deep inside Pakistan.The strikes reportedly destroyed runways, hangars and bunkers. Both air-launched and ground-launched versions were used in the mission. The success of these strikes has directly influenced India’s decision to expand its missile inventory.
Large-scale orders in the pipeline
According to a report by India Today, a high-level meeting is expected soon in the defence ministry to approve large-scale procurement of BrahMos missiles. This includes air-launched variants for the Indian Air Force’s Su-30 MKI fighters and surface-launched versions for Navy warships, including the Veer-class fleet.“India will continue to make sovereign decisions in the interest of national security. No external pressure will influence our defence preparedness,” a senior defence official told India Today, in a clear reference to ongoing criticism from the US over India’s military partnership with Russia.
Domestic development and the next step: BrahMos-II
The missile, initially built using Russian inputs, is now largely manufactured within India. This shift supports the broader national push for defence self-reliance.“During Operation Sindoor, the world saw the capabilities of our indigenous weapons. Our Air Defence Systems, missiles, and drones have proved the strength of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat', especially the BrahMos missiles,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, acknowledging the system’s frontline performance.
The government is also backing the next iteration of the missile. The BrahMos-II, still in development, will use scramjet propulsion and is expected to reach speeds up to Mach 9. Inspired by Russia’s Zircon missile, it aims to greatly enhance both range and velocity.
This programme, however, has seen delays. Initially announced in 2008, it was held up by Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) restrictions which prevented Russia from transferring certain technologies. Those limits were eased after India joined the MTCR in 2016, but progress has been slow due to high costs and complex engineering hurdles.
India’s position has remained consistent. Whether it is continuing defence trade with Russia or buying energy, the country has pushed back against external interference.
The BrahMos programme, with its focus on indigenous development and joint collaboration, symbolises India’s broader strategy: to build and control its own defence capabilities, answerable to no foreign capital.
While the US reacted with alarm during Operation Sindoor, India’s leadership saw it as a demonstration of discipline, precision and strength. The missile was used not as a threat but as a tool, deployed deliberately, conventionally and within limits.
For India, that distinction matters. And it’s not changing course.
