Telugu Portal(28-06-2006)
http://www.teluguportal.net/modules/news/article.php?storyid=6899
BrahMos missile a milestone in India-Russia ties:
PM
New Delhi, June 28 (IANS) The recently-inducted BrahMos cruise missile was
an "important milestone" in India-Russia defence cooperation and would "open
up new pathways" in other spheres as well, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
said here Wednesday.
"This unique programme involved India right from the design stage and is
the first example of international cooperation for development of advanced
weapons system," the prime minister said during a visit to the BrahMos Aerospace
Complex here.
The hour-long visit was meant to acquaint Manmohan Singh with the advanced
technology systems used for the BrahMos missile that Indian and Russian scientists
have jointly developed and to interact with scientific and industry captains
from both countries.
BrahMos is a two-stage missile powered by a solid propellant booster and
a liquid propellant ramjet that gives it a 300-km range.
Holding that in an age where science and technology had become the "arbiter
of the power and wealth of a nation", the prime minister added: "India is
now operating on the frontiers of modern science and technology. The shining
example of mastery over complex processes of technology is the BrahMos missile."
Terming BrahMos as "one of the most advanced cruise missile systems in the
world today", the prime minister lauded the role played by President A.P.J.
Abdul Kalam in the design and development of the system.
Kalam, before he was elevated to president in 2002, had served as scientific
advisor to the defence minister and also headed the Defence Research and
Development Organisation (DRDO), which along with NPO Mashinostroyenia and
a consortium of Indian and Russian private sector companies designed, developed
and built the BrahMos missile. It is named after the Brahmaputra and Moskova
rivers.
"Many critical technologies in the areas of guidance systems, software development
and launch programmes that have been successfully developed by DRDO have
been integrated into the BrahMos programme," the prime minister pointed out.
Noting that BraMos had been successfully deployed by the navy and would soon
be inducted by the army and the air force, Manmohan Singh pointed out that
the weapon system also had "tremendous" export potential.
Prior to his address, the prime minister visited a static display of the
BrahMos system comprising a truck-mounted mobile autonomous launcher (MAL)
and a mobile command post. Army personnel then went through the entire launch
sequence short of the actual lift-off. Manmohan Singh was then shown visuals
of the 12 successful firings of the missile so far.
BrahMos is capable of being launched from multiple platforms based on land,
sea, sub-sea and air against a variety of sea and land targets.
The missile, which can fly at 2.8 times the speed of sound and carry warheads
of up to 200 kg in weight, has a unique modular design that enables it to
be integrated with a wide spectrum of platforms like warships, submarines,
different types of aircraft, mobile autonomous launchers and silos.
Key parameters like long flight range at supersonic speeds and the ability
to quickly engage in a variety of trajectories make it a formidable force
multiplier comparable to the best available in the world.
BrahMos was conceptualised in 1995 with equity participation of 50.9 percent
from India and 49.5 percent from Russia.