Brahmos NG Missile Trials to Begin in Late 2024 — CEO

NEW DELHI --- The Indian-Russian company BrahMos Aerospace, in case of order, will be able to design a hypersonic missile in six years, Atul Rane, the company’s managing director and CEO, told TASS on Wednesday.

"First, the users need to tell us they need [such a missile]. In six year’s time, it’s possible," Rane said.

He noted that hypersonic weapons do not yet exist en masse in the world. However, all countries have been working on such weapons: Russia, China, the US, as well as India. "Russia has talked about Zircon, they’ve talked about Kinzhal. There have been media reports that Kindzhal has been used. I don’t know. There have been reports that Zircon is being put on the ships of Russian navy - I don’t know because we are not aware. Technologies are being developed by the actual technology developers; BrahMos does not develop technology. <…> [It is up to] designers: the [Indian] DRDO (The Defence Research and Development Organisation - TASS) and [Russian] NPO Mash. Then we will start talking about putting a missile together. It’s still too early, they’re doing testing. <..> We will start talking about it, [however], it’s very expensive. It’s expensive to make, it’s expensive to sell," the BrahMos CEO said.

He noted that many things depended on the user, the armed forces, which had to confirm that it really needed such a missile and was willing to pay for it.

"When we started BrahMos, we started working on anti-ship shore-based complex. Immediately when we were working on it, the army said that it was interested in it and asked to make it a land-based missile. We were distracted, but then the navy came in and asked to [stop working] on shore-based missile and asked to put it on ship. Then we were torn between ship missiles, land-based [ones], and then the navy [once again] asked for coastal [missiles]. So, we continue to do it [and adapt it]. And hypersonic also, we will start [it] and see where it ends. f hypersonic missiles, I cannot yet say which branch of the armed forces will be interested. But if it does, give us six years, and we will make it," Rane said.

The BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile, developed by the joint Russian-Indian BrahMos Aerospace company. The missile has been jointly developed by Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya and India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO). The first trial launch took place in 2001. Various versions of this missile have been commissioned to India’s Navy, Air Force and ground forces. BrahMos Aerospace’s headquarters is located in New Delhi. The name BrahMos is a combination of the names of the Brahmaputra River in India and Moskva River in Russia.

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