The Indian government's Cabinet Committee on Security has cleared an air force proposal to procure 200 air-launched examples of the Indian/Russian-developed BrahMos supersonic cruise missile.
India plans to field the BrahMos with its air force Sukhoi Su-30MKI strike aircraft, with Bengaluru-based Hindustan Aeronautics having modified two examples to perform test activities. A first trial of the air-launched version is due to be conducted before the end of 2012.
The BrahMos variant to be carried by the Su-30 is lighter than the ground- and ship-launched versions already in development, but will be capable of striking a target from about 157nm (290km).
New Delhi-based joint venture BrahMos Aerospace also plans to develop a hypersonic version of the missile.
Source: Flight International