Aircraft version of BrahMos: first trial by Dec 2007

Chennai, Apr 13 (UNI) The process of developing the air-to-land supersonic missile BrahMos, to be integrated with fighter aircraft Sukhoi-30 MKI has started and the first trial would be conducted by December 2007.

Talking to reporters after addressing the sixth graduation day ceremony of Easwari Engineering College here, BrahMos Aerospace CEO and Managing Director Dr A Sivathanu Pillai said 'We have started developing the aircraft version of BrahMos''.

''The IAF has asked us to develop the aircraft version to be integrated with Sukhois. The technical feasibility of integrating the missile with Sukhoi-30 has been completed,'' he said.

''We have to do some developmental works for fitting the missile in the aircraft. We are working on this programme and the first trial will be conductdd by the end of next year,'' Dr Pillai said.

The IAF had 140 Sukhoi aircraft and certain numbers of them would be fitted with the aircraft version of BrahMos, he added.

'A number of trials will be done. We are planning to try it with different types of variations, manoeuvring capability and at different altitudes.'' A detailed plan was being worked out by the IAF.

Dr Pillai said, after successful trials, the process of inducting the anti-ship version of Brahmos in the Indian Navy had started. Two types - Ship-to-Ship and Shore-to-Ship - were developed by BrahMos Aerospace, he said, added the process started last year. 'We have succesfully completed 11 trials and the missile has proved its trustworthiness. The Indian Navy has accepted it and wants it to be inducted in its multiple and different type of ships'.

'The Navy has identified various types of ships in which it has to be inducted and we have signed a contract with the Navy for this.' In the next 20 years, all Navy ships, including new ones, would be fitted with BrahMos, Dr Pillai said.

He said as per the Inter-Government Agreement between India and Russia, the latter would be inducting BrahMos in its ships.

'We have told Russia to induct it in its fleet. The next series of ships in Russia will be fitted with Brahmos. In the next two to three years Russian ships will have BrahMos', he added.

He said as per the agreement, India could sell BrahMos to friendly countries. 'We are identifying friendly countries to sell BrahMos.'

UNI