The Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, BrahMos Aerospace, New Delhi, A. Sivathanu Pillai, on Monday said that the work related to air version of the Supersonic BrahMos Cruise Missile was in the advanced stage.
The missile had been realised and necessary changes had been incorporated in it, Dr.Pillai, also the Chief Controller (Research & Development) Defence Research and Development Organisation told reporters in an informal chat in the city.
Modifications were required to be made on the Sukhoi 30 MKI multi-role combat aircraft to carry out flight tests for the air version of the missile. The Sukhoi Design Bureau in Russia would modify the fighter aircraft he said exuding hope that by 2011 the aircraft would be available with the provision to conduct flight tests for the air version of the BrahMos cruise missile.
“Our target is to induct the missile in the Air Force in 2012,” Dr. Pillai said. The weight of the air version had been reduced by 500 kilograms compared to the land version he said adding that in two years time BrahMos missiles would also be produced from the Thiruvananthapuram complex.
“The plan is to establish a production complex for BrahMos missile integration in a seven acre land being provided by the Indian Air Force adjacent to the present BrahMos complex in Thiruvananthapuram.”
He said that production infrastructure was being upgraded to meet the requirements adding that multiple industries had become partners in the production of components and systems for the BrahMos missile.
He said that a design team involving Russians had been working on a hypersonic version of the BrahMos missile called BrahMos –II which was in progress.
Earlier, making a presentation on the topic ‘Recent Advances in Science in the National Development’ at the Seethalakshmi Ramaswami College here, he said the country had become strong in space technology with the capability to launch satellites of other nations. Vision 2020 was a road map for the country to reach developed status on all fronts.
Tracing the evolution of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme, Dr.Pillai said that the country had developed minimum deterrence to safeguard itself.
