BrahMos to be inducted into IAF next year

The air-to-ground version of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile will be inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF) by the end of 2007.

BrahMos Aerospace Executive Director S Mohapatra told reporters that the process of developing the air-to-ground version of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was almost complete. “It will be fitted on to Sukhoi 30 aircraft. It will be an important addition to our strength”, he said.

Mohapatra, who was at Bhalki in Karnataka’s Bidar district to lay the foundation stone for the library building of Rural Engineering College, said the ground-to-ground and water-to-ground versions of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles had already been inducted into the Army and Navy respectively.

“Performance of the missile is excellent. We have conducted eleven test trails and each time we have hit the bull’s eye. The performance of a missile is decided by how best you hit targets and not how many times you fire it”, Mohapatra said.

He said BrahMos moves faster than sound. “It is a special ram jet engine. It is one of the best weapons systems in the world”, he said.

BrahMos Aerospace is a company established jointly by the Governments of India and Russia with the sole purpose of developing the missile.

The BrahMos Aerospace unit at Hyderabad was working hard to increase the proportion of indigenous elements inside the missile. “The indigenous elements amount to 40 to 45 per cent now. They will be increased to 65 per cent in due course”, he said.

Mohapatra also revealed that the two Governments are planning to export the missile. “Talks on towards this end. Discussions at the highest level are expected to be held when Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin arrives in New Delhi as a special guest during the Republic Day celebrations in January next year”, Mohapatra said.