07.09.2009
Technique design of BrahMos-2 hypersonic missile is in the closing stage, informs Press Trust of India referring to one of the heads of joint venture BrahMos Airspace.
Final details of the project to be coordinated in the nearest time, said Dr. Sivathanu Pillai,
BrahMos Airspace, executive director.
On regular meeting of the joint venture partners it is planned to discuss subjects of the project management, distribution of investments, segregation of technical duties and production.
Russia and India announced joint development plan of new hypersonic missile
BrahMos-2 in Sept, 2008. As it was planned, the missile will be capable to accelerate from 5 to 7 M; that will make its interception practically impossible.
At the present time
BrahMos Airspace has completed development of some variants of supersonic cruise missile. Sea- and ground-based variants have successfully passed the tests and were army-accepted by Indian Army and Navy. The works on design of air- and underwater-based modifications of the missile are going on.
The creation of supersonic cruise missile
BrahMos has began since the middle of 1999 on the basis of P-800
Onyx missile designed for underwater launch. For the project implementation, the JV
BrahMos Airspace was established which founders were FSUE
NPO Mashinostroenie from the Russian party and Defense & Research Development Organization (DRDO) of the Indian Ministry of Defense from the Indian party. First tests were carried out in Orissa range on June, 12, 2001.
BrahMos represents a two-stage cruise missile with length of 10 m, diameter of 70 ?m, launch weight with container about 3,9 t, range up to 290 km and acceleration of 2,8 ?. The CM is capable to carry a warhead up to 300 kg. The missile features allow flying on altitude of 10 m-14 km, and with speed exceeding US CM
Tomahawk in 3 times.
BrahMos is multifunctional and after design is completed it will be launched from surface ships, submarines, aircrafts, launching silos and mobile launchers based on "Tatra" truck.
The air-based version of CM
BrahMos is ready to be tested and, as it was planned, will be army-accepted by Indian Air Force in 2012. This version will be among armaments of
Su-30MKI fighter. Necessary aircraft improvements are carried out in
OKB Sukhoi.
The Indo-Russian company intends to complete design development of
BrahMos-2 hypersonic missile by 2013, as Sivathanu Pillai previously said.
By estimations of analysts, within the next 10 years Indian Armed Forces may purchase up to 1000
BrahMos missiles. Alongside with that, about 2000 missiles may be sold to other countries.
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