Work to integrate Brahmos on 40 Sukhoi aircraft begins
Team Udayavani, Dec 17, 2017, 1:19 PM IST
New Delhi: Work has begun to integrate the Brahmos supersonic cruise missile on 40 Sukhoi combat aircraft which is expected to fulfil critical needs of the Indian Air Force in the wake of evolving security dynamics in the region.
The air-launched variant of the Brahmos, the world’s fastest supersonic cruise missile, was successfully test fired from a Sukhoi-30 combat jet on November 22, marking a major milestone to enhance the precision strike capability of the air force.
The work to integrate the Brahmos missile on 40 Sukhoi combat aircraft has begun. A timeline for the project is being set, official sources said without elaborating. it is learnt that the project is expected to be completed by 2020.
The fleet of 40 Sukhoi jet will undergo structural modifications at the state-run aerospace major Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) for integration of the missile on them. The 2.5-ton missile flies almost three times the speed of sound at Mach 2.8 and has a range of 290 km.
The range of the missile, an Indo-Russia joint venture, can be extended up to 400 km as certain technical restrictions were lifted after India became a full member of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) last year.
Brahmos missile is the heaviest weapon to be deployed on India’s Su-30 fighter aircraft. Once the project to integrate the weapon on the combat fleet was over, the IAF capability to strike from large stand-off ranges on any target in sea or land is expected to go up manifold.
“It is a very important project considering IAF’s evolving requirement to boost air power when the possibility of a two-front war cannot be ruled out,” said an official. After the test firing of the air-launched version, the IAF had said the missile coupled with the superlative performance of the Su-30 aircraft will give the force a strategic reach and will allow it to dominate the ocean and the battlefields.
The integration of the missile on Sukhoi aircraft is a very complex process involving mechanical, electrical and software modifications of the Su-30 jet. Brahmos is a joint venture between DRDO of India and NPO Mashinostroyenia (NPOM) of Russia.
Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.
Top News
Related Articles More
Congress to discuss candidates for Amethi, Raebareli seats on Saturday
Cache of arms including foreign-made revolvers seized by CBI in Sandeshkhali raids
24 Indian Fishermen Released from Sri Lankan Detention, Repatriated to India
SC verdict on EVM tight slap to Congress-led opposition: PM Modi in Bihar rallies
Board exams twice a year from 2025: MoE asks CBSE to work out logistics, no plan for semesters
MUST WATCH
Latest Additions
Patanjali Foods to evaluate proposal to buy Patanjali Ayurved’s non-food business
Congress to discuss candidates for Amethi, Raebareli seats on Saturday
BJP’s CT Ravi Booked for Promoting Hatred and Enmity Through Social Media Post
Elections held in 14 LS segments in Karnataka, voter turnout nearly 64 per cent till 5 pm
‘PM is scared, may even shed tears on stage’: Rahul Gandhi’s fresh salvo at Modi