Joint team working to fit 'Brahmos' in Sukhoi wings

Tiruchirapalli, Aug 26 (UNI) A joint team of experts from various Defence agencies is working for the installation and other procedural tasks for the assembly of the supersonic cruise missile system ''Brahmos'' in the wings of the Sukhoi-30 MKI (Mark India) aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF), Dr A.Sivathanu Pillai, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Brahmos Aerospace, an Indo-Russian Joint venture said today.

Talking to Newsmen here, he said though no structural changes in the Sukhoi-30 aircraft were required as it already had one assembly of hook and loader in its belly to accommodate one missile.

However, it was planned to accommodate three missiles in each aircraft and hence the IAF, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Sukhoi Design Bureau and Brahmos Aerospace have formed a joint team of experts to work out the possibilities of strengthening the wings of the aircraft to fit one missile under each wing.

He said the Air version of the Brahmos missiles would be put on flight in a Sukhoi aircraft by December 2007. The missile part of the production by his company was all ready and the procedure of fitment to the aircraft and the integral trial exercise of both static and dynamic test on the grounds was in progress.

Subsequently, flight-testing of various terms of references would have to be complied with, he added.

He said the designing consisted of two major aspects namely the mechanical and the electronics system. Apart from the mechanical assembly of hooks and strap to house the long and heavy version of the missile, a suitable electronics system or a fire control system with the tie-up of cockpit avionics was to be designed and engineered.

The same technical team initiated for this procedure is also evolving the mission computer and control for the Sukhoi pilot to instantly trigger off the missile.

As the Brahmos Missile is designed for the longer range of upto 290 km unlike the normal missiles of shorter ranges of 10 or 20 kms, the required electronic device was a little complicated.

However, Dr Pillai was very confident that all the procedural wrangles would be overcome soon and he hoped that Brahmos would be inducted into Sukhoi-30 MKI aircraft successfully.

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