IAF to adopt BrahMos missile in 2016

BrahMos missile to enter service in Indian Air Force in 2016, Sudhir Kumar Mishra, CEO and Managing Director for Russian-Indian joint venture BrahMos Aerospace,  told RIA Novosti on Wednesday.

"According to the schedule, the missile is expected to enter service in 2016. A further 10 tests will be conducted by the end of the year. In May, a test flight with the launching system for the missile will be conducted," Mishra said.

The first Su-30MKI fighter armed with the air-based version of the BrahMos-A supersonic cruise missile has been solemnly handed over to the Indian Air Force at the Aero India 2015 exhibition in Bangalore in February with the participation of the heads of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited company and of the Russian-Indian company BrahMos Aerospace.

The air-launched version of the BhaMos missile is 500 kg lighter and half a meter shorter than its sea-launched version for successful integration with the fighter.

The missile is a product of the Russian-Indian cooperation in weapons development. It was designed by Russian-Indian joint venture BrahMos Aerospace, named after the rivers Brahmaputra and Moskva. The company was founded by India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniye in 1998. The Russian company owns 49.5% of the shares, with the remaining 50.5% stake being owned by DRDO.

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