Russia, India Design Hypersonic Missile Together

29.06.2012 Russo-Indian joint venture BrahMos Airspace works on development of a hypersonic cruise missile, said the company's director Sivathanu Pillai.

Both Russia and India have carried out large number of laboratory model tests of the hypersonic missile, Pillai said. "We want to start launches and, using available boosters, to improve propellant combustion characteristics", he said at the international engineering technology forum held in Zhukovsky, Moscow region, reports Interfax.

Pillai pointed out that the joint venture was looking for resources to implement that project. As for him, the work done gives hope that in the nearest time "the hypersonic missile's architecture would be determined".

As was reported by Vzglyad, Pillai said earlier on Thursday that adaptation of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles for Su-30MKI fighter is at the closing stage. "We'll be ready for flight tests in six months", Pillai said.

He added that protracted commissioning of the BrahMos supersonic missile into Russian Armed Forces had negative impact on the missile's chances at foreign markets.

"There is the intergovernmental agreement providing that the missile must be put in service both in India and in Russia. India has already taken the missile for its Army, Air Force, and Navy. It is critical that Russia also decides to use this jointly developed product, say, in Army or Navy", Pillai said.

As for him, "third countries will buy BrahMos missiles when they know that not only India but Russia, too, uses them".

Russian-Indian company BrahMos Airspace Ltd was incorporated in India in 1998 in order to produce supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles. Its founders were Russia's NPO Mashinostroyenia (Reutov, Moscow region) and India's Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO). The company's statutory documents specify that the purpose of the joint venture is "development, production, marketing, and sale of cruise missiles".

BrahMos missile was designed on the basis of Russian missile Yakhont which has similar performance characteristics. Key advantages of these missiles are high speed, variety of tactical schemes and methods of use, compatibility of sea-, submarine-, air-, and coastal-based missiles.