BENGALURU: India's ace Brahmos cruise missile is up for improvement as the development of the BrahMos NG (Next Generation) missile system is in advanced stages.
If things continue in this manner, its production might begin in another two to three years.
Jaiteerth R Joshi, Director General of India- Russia Joint Venture BrahMos said, "The development is in advanced stages, we may go for its first flight runs by next year and the production shall begin from 2027-28."
Brahmos NG will be compatible for even smaller delivery systems once developed.
"BrahMos NG is a sleeker missile with the same capabilities as its predecessor. We are developing state-of-the-art technologies so that the missile becomes sleeker and the effects remain the same."
As for the other parameters of the new missile version are concerned, like its predecessor, the BrahMos NG will have a range of 290 km and will be fitted on several platforms.
Brahmos NG being lighter, smaller and compact, will be compatible to be fitted into the Russian-origin Sukhoi-30MKI fighter aircraft and indigenously developed Light Combat Aircraft Tejas.
When compared with, BrahMos NG weighs 1.6 tonnes and is 6 metres long while the older version weighed 3 tonnes and was 9 metres long.
The missile has a range of 290 km and a speed of up to 3.5 Mach.
In addition, the Brahmos NG will have a lesser radar cross-section in comparison to the previous version. It will have have a homemade seeker with an AESA radar.
The missile is gaining attention from other countries. As TNIE reported earlier, India has completed the supplying three batteries of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system to the Philippines and talks are at an advanced stage with Indonesia.
During the recent visit of Indonesian President, Prabowo Subianto as the Chief Guest at the Republic Day parade in January, he visited the BrahMos headquarters in Delhi wherein he was briefed on the capabilities of the supersonic cruise missiles.
India and Indonesia, as reported first by this newspaper, have reached a broad understanding of the pricing of the deal, around USD 450 million.
If the deal concludes, after the Philippines, Indonesia will become the second foreign buyer of the missile systems.
The deal with Philippines, worth around $ 375 million, was signed in 2022 to equip the Philippine Marines with three batteries of the missiles.
Further, several African countries and West Asian countries have evinced interest in the missile system.