India, Russia to make BrahMos missiles
[ 21 Jul, 2006 1540hrs ISTPTI ]
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BANGALORE: India and Russia intend to make 1,000 BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles over the next 10 years through their joint venture company, with nearly 50 per cent of them expected to be sold in third countries, defence sources said on Friday.

"We already have a capacity to produce 100 missiles a year. One thousand missiles in 10 years is a reasonable target. Nearly 50 per cent will go to exports," a source said.

India and Russia have so far invested $300 million in BrahMos Aerospace, which was established to design, develop, produce and market the missile by using the technological skills and capabilities of both countries.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced last month that BrahMos (named after the Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers) has been inducted into the Indian Navy.

BrahMos Aerospace CEO A Sivathanu Pillai said the missile's land-based version is expected to be inducted into the Army next year.

Pillai, also chief controller of research and development in the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), said the company is undertaking a project to install BrahMos missiles on the Sukhoi-30MKI combat jets of the Indian Air Force.

"Now, we are fitting one BrahMos in the belly (of the Su-30) to start with. With certain reinforcement of the wings, we can fit up to three," he said.

Pillai said the joint venture company, established in India in 1998, is now looking at an upgraded version of BrahMos but added that no final decision has been taken. He, however, hinted that one area of focus could be increasing the speed of the missile. "It can be speed," he said...

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