BrahMos inducted in Indian Army

New Delhi, June 21: President A P J Abdul Kalam today called upon the country's defence scientists to develop hyper-sonic cruise missile systems to maintain force-level supremacy in the emerging network-centric warfare scenario.

''It is time that the three Services work with the team of BrahMos Aerospace to evolve the QR for such a system in a time-bound manner,'' said Dr Kalam, known as the progenitor of India's ambitious missile programme.

Addressing a function here to mark the formal handing over to the Army of the 290-km-range BrahMos land-attack cruise missile (LACM), the President asserted that the time had come for BrahMos Aerospace to work on a Mark-II version of BrahMos so that it would still be the market leader in hyper-sonic cruise missiles.

''I visualise long-range hyper-sonic cruise missiles not only delivering pay-loads but also returning to the base after the mission, leading to re-usable class of cruise missiles within the next decade,'' said the visionary scientist gracing now the country's highest office.

''No smart developer can afford to lose the competitive edge which he has generated and hence increasing the orders and continuously improving the products have to be aggressively pursued,'' the President said exhorting the scientists at BrahMos Aerospace, an Indo-Russian joint venture for the development of world-class missile systems.

The occasion saw the President, who is also the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces, handing over a replica of the mobile autonomous launchers of the BrahMos land system to the Chief of Army Staff General JJ Singh, symbolising the commencement of delivery of the supersonic cruise missiles to the Indian Army.

The missile is launched from a Transport Launch Canister (TLC), which also acts as storage and transport container.

The Government had approved induction of three regiments of the BrahMos Missile system in the Indian Army out of which the Army had initially placed the requirement for one regiment.

The delivery of this system was to start from July 2008. However, for early operationalisation of the missile system, the delivery of one Mobile Command Post and two Mobile Autonomous Launchers has been advanced by one year.

The function, marking a landmark development in the defence history of the country, was attended, among others, by Defence Minister AK Antony, Minister of State for Defence MM Pallam Raju, Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister M Natarajan, Russian Ambassador here Vyacheslav Trubnikov and Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of BrahMos Aerospace Dr A Sivathanu Pillai.

Describing the BrahMos joint venture programme between India and Russia as ''a great template'' for international cooperation, the President said it combined the core competence of the two countries for realising a high-technology product in an extremely competitive global defence market with minimum investment from each side.

''We have to aggressively market this world-class product which will have a market shelf-life of not more than five years,'' he added.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in a message on the occasion, described the BrahMos system as one of the most advanced supersonic cruise missile comparable to the best in the world. ''It is an excellent model of high technology cooperation between India and the Russian Federation,'' he said. Defence Minister Antony said the induction of the BrahMos weapon system will arm India with a most powerful supersonic cruise missile which can hit a target with precision.

He said the capabilities of the missile system, proved through a series of successful flight trials, will bolster the Indian Army and enhance the defence preparedness of the nation.

''In the changing face of the war theatre, induction of BrahMos and similar high-technology systems will play a commanding role in protecting the nation's interests....'' The Defence Minister, however, warned that production orders to the required quantity must be made to make the joint venture economically viable.

''In order to cater to the growing demands of the Indian and Russian Armed Forces and export market, the production activities have to be geared up to meet the growing demands,'' he said.

Speaking on the occasion, BrahMos Managing Director Pillai expressed confidence that when all four versions of the BrahMos missile system, Ship, Mobile Complex, Air and Submarine launched missiles, are used in a seamless integration among the various services, it will effectively destroy any kind of threat.

''BrahMos will be a war winner and will play a crucial role in future warfare,'' he said.

Army Chief Gen JJ Singh said he had witnessed two launches of the BrahMos system in the desert and was confident that the missile system will be ''a force multiplier in our strategic armoury''.

The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile has evolved out of the joint efforts of Indian and Russian scientists under the joint venture company BrahMos Aerospace, DRDO and NPO Mashinostroyenia of Russia, along with a consortium of Indian and Russian industries.

The company came into existence consequent to an Inter- Governmental agreement signed between the two countries in February 1998.

The acronym BrahMos is perceived as the confluence of two great nations represented by two great rivers, the fury of River Brahmaputra of India and the grace of River Moscowa of Russia. The aim is to design, develop, produce and market the Supersonic Cruise Missile BrahMos.

The missile can fly at 2.8 times the speed of sound. It can carry warheads up to 200 kg in weight and has a maximum range of 290 km.

The missile is capable of being launched from multiple platforms based on land, sea, sub-sea and air.

The modular design of the missile and its capability of being launched at different orientations enables it to be integrated with a wide spectrum of platforms like warships, submarines, different types of aircraft, Mobile Autonomous Launcher and silos.

UNI