India's navy has put into service the BrahMos Russian-Indian supersonic anti-ship cruise missile, the Indian prime minister said Wednesday. Manmohan Singh said during a visit to BrahMos Aerospace, an Indian company that manufactures the missile, that other arms of the country's military would soon deploy the world-class cruise missile.
The missile has been developed as a joint venture between India's Defense Research & Development Organization (DRDO) and Russia's Mashinostroyenia scientific center. BrahMos is designed to destroy surface targets flying at an altitude as low as 10 meters (30 feet) and at a speed of Mach 2.8, with a maximum range of 290 km (about 180 miles).
Sea-based version of the missile will be initially deployed on Project 11356 Talvar-class (Kryvack) frigates built in Russia for the Indian navy. Land-based version of the missile, which was successfully tested on May 31, will enter service in two years.
The Hindu national newspaper said on June 3 that Indian Air Force Su-30MKI multi-role air superiority fighters would also be equipped with BrahMos missiles by the end of next year. |