Indian Air Force to receive air-launched version of BrahMos missile in 2016

NEW DELHI, August 06./ITAR-TASS/. BrahMos Aerospace will be ready to deliver to the Indian Air Force the air-launched version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile in 2016, the company new President Sudhir Kumar Mishra said on Wednesday.



NEW DELHI, August 06./ITAR-TASS/. BrahMos Aerospace will be ready to deliver to the Indian Air Force the air-launched version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile in 2016, the company new President Sudhir Kumar Mishra said on Wednesday.

The air-launched missile will be installed on the Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighters, the head of the Russian-Indian JV told ITAR-TASS in an interview.

“The missile development is going on schedule. Its launch from the Su-30MKI fighter will be carried out by the year end, and the deliveries will start in 2016,” he said.

India’s Air Force has now a contract for the supply of 272 Su-30MKI fighters. After 50 disassembled fighters were delivered to India from Russia, the Indian aircraft corporation Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, HAL, assembled here 134 more aircraft under the licence. All the ordered fighters should be delivered by 2018 - 2019. India produces up to 60 - 70% of component parts for the Su-30MKI fighter.

The BrahMos missile with the length of nine metres and diameter 70 cm carries a 200-300 kg warhead. The missile range is 290 kilometres with a speed two times exceeding sound speed. The missiles have already been adopted for service in the Indian Army and Navy. The first test of the sub-launched version of the BrahMos missile was carried out in March 2014. The mass of the air-launched version of the missile is by 500 kg less and length - by 1.5 metres less.

BrahMos Aerospace was established in 1998. It was named after India’s Brahmaputra River and Russia’s Moskva River.
India hopes to sign an agreement on a smaller version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile with Russia before the end of the year, BrahMos Aerospace CEO Sudhir Kumar Mishra said on Wednesday.

It will take about three years to develop the new missile to be named BrahMos-M (BrahMos-Mini). Its various versions will be used by the Army, the Air Force and the Navy, Mishra said.

Defense News India