BrahMos Missile Airframes Delivered

BrahMos Aerospace has taken delivery of the first batch of BrahMos missile airframe assemblies, comprising of 40 air-frame assemblies from Godrej Aerospace, under a contract awarded in February 2007.

Godrej & Boyce chairman and managing director Jamshyd Godrej said the company also secured the second serial production order comprising another 100 sets.

BrahMos MD and CEO Dr Pillai said Godrej's investment in exclusive facilities for BrahMos has given the company confidence to award additional orders for BrahMos missile air-frame assemblies to Godrej and also increase its scope of work for the missile.

''I'm certain that, together, we will set new benchmarks for public-private partnerships towards indigenous development and production of sophisticated weapon systems,'' Pillai said.

Godrej & Boyce Industrial Products chief operating officer Kaustubh Shukla said the company's association with BrahMos and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has been extensive.

''Besides partnering for the development and serial manufacture of BrahMos missile air-frame assemblies, we continue to participate in the development, supply and life cycle support of mobile autonomous launchers (MAL) for the BrahMos missile, for the Indian Armed Forces,'' Shukla said.

Developed by BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture between India's DRDO and Russian NPO Mashinostroyenia, the BrahMos is a 290km range stealth supersonic cruise missile, designed for launch from land, ship, submarines and air platforms.

Based on the Russian-built P-800 Oniks / Yakhont supersonic anti-ship cruise missile, the missile has a speed of Mach 2.8, which equates to nearly three times the speed of sound, and can carry a conventional warhead of up to 300kg.

The BrahMos is already in service with the Indian Army and Navy, while flight tests of the air version are soon expected to be carried out by the Indian Air Force (IAF).