Foreign Correspondence

[Amaunet]

We'll build more weapons like BrahMos, says Kalam

They are changing these missiles so fast - I don't think the Aegis would be that effective against them. It is hard to tell everything is evolving at such a fast rate.

The nuclear-capable BrahMos is jointly produced by Russia and India and it is based on the Soviet-era Yakhont (Onyx). It is being aggressively marketed and sold.

#msg-6509438

-Am

Vladimir Radyuhin


MOSCOW: India and Russia would jointly build new weapon systems using the experience gained in designing the BrahMos anti-ship cruise missile, President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam said here on Tuesday.

"BrahMos has established a new way of country-to-country cooperation that we're going to use in future in designing new weapon systems," he said. "System design, system development, system production and system marketing have all been integrated in this great programme, which has come through successfully."

Mr. Kalam made these comments after visiting NPO Mashinostoyeniye, a leading Russian designer of missiles and space systems.

In 1998, the Defence Research and Development Organisation and NPO Mashinostroyeniye had set up a joint venture to develop a supersonic anti-ship cruise missile, christened BrahMos.

"It is a unique world-class missile; there are no other such missiles anywhere," he said. "There is a good market for BrahMos and our two countries are going to aggressively market it."

This was Mr. Kalam's fourth visit to NPO Mashinostroyeniye since 1991. He negotiated and signed agreements to jointly develop the BrahMos missile, which is truly his brainchild. "NPO Mashinostroyeniye people are all my friends and our friendship is based on rocket technologies," he said.

"They have done a great job and I have come to congratulate the NPO team and the Indian team on creating this unique missile."


http://www.hindu.com/2005/05/25/stories/2005052508101200.htm


Reference:


RUSSIA, INDIA TEST NEW MISSILE... India and Russia have announced the successful test of the new Brahmos sea-launched missile in the Bay of Bengal, Russian and Western new agencies reported on 12 February. The jointly produced supersonic cruise missile is based on the Soviet-era Yakhont (Onyx) missile and has a range of about 300 kilometers, making it capable of hitting any major city in Pakistan, AP reported on 12 February. Indian Defense Minister George Fernandes said that the nuclear-capable missile will enter the two countries' arsenals in 2004 and will be sold to other countries, RIA-Novosti and other Russian news agencies reported.
http://www.rferl.org/reports/securitywatch/2003/02/7-190203.asp