India is looking to sell the BrahMos to four more countries which have shown interest in it.
4 More Countries Show Interest in BrahMos Missile
India is looking to sell the BrahMos to four more countries which have shown interest in it. The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Vietnam had shown an interest in getting the supersonic missile, sources said.
The missile has already been sold to the Philippines and negotiations have started with Indonesia. A high-level military delegation from Indonesia is expected to come to India in a few weeks to start a formal dialogue on the use of missile in their country. Largely, the countries are seeking a land version of the BrahMos. India last year started the delivery of the BrahMos to the Philippines, which sought a shore-based variant that can be an anti-ship cruise missile, with a range of 290 km.
The Philippines is one of the six countries locked in a maritime territorial dispute with China in the South China Sea. India has the land, sea and air version of the BrahMos missiles. Meanwhile, BrahMos Director General JR Joshi, while talking to The Tribune at the Aero India, spoke about the improvement in the missile, saying the trials of the ‘Brahmos NG‘ have started.
The trials would be complete by 2026. The NG version is to be mated with the Sukhoi 30MKI fighter jet. The Sukhoi can carry a version of the BrahMos under its belly. It will be installed under the wings of the jet. On being asked if India could extend the BrahMos beyond its 300 km range, Joshi said: “It all depends on the government. We will be able to do it. We have the capability to enhance the range.”
The BrahMos is a joint venture between DRDO and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya in 1998. The missile has a maximum speed of 2.8 Mach (around 3,450 kmh).
