Hypersonic BrahMos 2 missile to be ready for testing by 2017

Moscow, Jun 28: The first prototype of the hypersonic BrahMos 2

, which is being developed in collaboration with India and

will be ready for testing by 2017, said an official.

"I think we will need about five years to develop the first fully-functional prototype (of the hypersonic missile). We have already carried out a series of lab tests at the speed of 6.5 Mach," said Sivathanu Pillai, chief executive officer of the Russian-Indian joint venture Brahmos Aerospace.

BrahMos 2 missile will be airborne, sea-launched and ground launched and will be supplied only to India and Russia without being supplied to third world countries, he said.

BrahMos Aerospace Ltd, a Russian-Indian joint venture, manufactures BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles. The flight test of airborne version of the missile will be completed by the end of 2012.

The missiles are based on the Russian-designed NPO Mashinostroyenie 3M55 Yakhont (SS-N-26) and have a range of 290 km and can carry a warhead of upto 300 kg.

The sea and land versions, which have been successfully tested are put into service with the Indian Army and Navy.

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