BRAHMOS is a joint Indo Russian missile system in service with the Indian armed forces. What type of missile is BRAHMOS most correctly classified as?

Introduction / Context:
This question lies in the defence and technology section of general knowledge. BRAHMOS is one of India most famous missile systems, and understanding its classification helps you answer many related questions. Knowing whether it is a cruise or ballistic missile, and at what speed regime it operates, is essential for defence awareness.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The missile is BRAHMOS, a joint venture between India and Russia.
- It is deployed by Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force in certain variants.
- The options provide different categories of missiles by range and flight profile.
- We assume awareness that cruise missiles fly within the atmosphere and follow a guided path, while ballistic missiles follow a ballistic trajectory after initial boost.

Concept / Approach:
BRAHMOS is designed as a supersonic cruise missile. Supersonic means it travels faster than the speed of sound. Being a cruise missile, it flies at low to medium altitudes under continuous powered flight and can be guided accurately to its target. It is not a ballistic missile, which would travel in a high arc. The term ultrasonic in everyday speech is not used for missile classification, and BRAHMOS is not a submarine launched ballistic missile by default, although there are ship and submarine launched cruise variants.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that BRAHMOS was advertised as the world fastest operational supersonic cruise missile. Step 2: Supersonic suggests speeds around two to three times the speed of sound, which fits BRAHMOS performance band. Step 3: The term cruise indicates sustained powered flight within the atmosphere, with guidance and relatively low altitude compared to ballistic missiles. Step 4: Compare with ballistic missiles, which are boosted and then follow a largely free fall path, which does not match BRAHMOS flight profile. Step 5: Therefore, classify BRAHMOS as a supersonic cruise missile and pick option b.

Verification / Alternative Check:
A second check is to recall deployment. BRAHMOS is mounted on ships and coastal batteries as a ship and land attack cruise missile, and there are air launched variants carried by fighter aircraft. Such roles are typical for cruise missiles. Ballistic missiles like Agni and Prithvi are used differently and do not match the guidance and low altitude characteristics of BRAHMOS.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Medium range ballistic missile describes systems like some Agni variants, not BRAHMOS, which follows a cruise trajectory.
Short range tactical missile is a vague term and does not capture the specific cruise type and supersonic feature of BRAHMOS.
Ultrasonic cruise missile is not a standard classification term in this context, and BRAHMOS is specifically described as supersonic, not ultrasonic.
Submarine launched ballistic missile refers to missiles like some K series missiles, which are launched from submarines and follow ballistic paths, not the ship or aircraft launched cruise behaviour of BRAHMOS.

Common Pitfalls:
Many candidates see the word missile and immediately select ballistic options because those are more frequently mentioned in nuclear and strategic discussions. Another pitfall is confusion between cruise speed descriptions. Remember that supersonic refers to speeds beyond Mach 1 but not necessarily hypersonic. BRAHMOS fits neatly into the category of supersonic cruise missile, which makes it easy to recall for defence questions.

Final Answer:
BRAHMOS is most correctly classified as a supersonic cruise missile.