The industry team behind the Russian-Indian Brahmos supersonic cruise missile is battling to remove weight from the developmental weapon's air-launched variant, as potential operators voice fresh concerns over its integration on fighter aircraft, writes Craig Hoyle.
Confirming that the Indian air force is studying the possible acquisition of the air-launched Brahmos, service chief of staff Air Marshal S P Tyagi says: "Brahmos is a good missile, but it is not easy to integrate with an airborne platform." The service will wait to see how flight tests of the weapon progress from 2006 to 2007 before deciding, he says.
The Brahmos Aerospace consortium's operating concept for the missile envisages a Sukhoi Su-30 multirole fighter carrying three of the 3,000kg (6,600lb) weapons - two on underwing hardpoints and one on the aircraft's centreline. However, programme sources say reducing the design's high weight is the target of an ongoing design improvement process, with a reduction of 500kg having been identified.
Design enhancements will be embodied through recent improvements in materials and technology and by the use of improved flight-control surfaces, says Atul Rane, programme manager for Brahmos avionics and system integration for India's Defence Research and Development Laboratory. Indian industry recently completed the preliminary design of an underwing pylon for the weapon and has delivered drawings to Russia's Sukhoi design bureau for evaluation, he says.
Intended for use against naval vessels and infrastructure targets on land, Brahmos - which is also being developed in maritime and land-fired versions - has a maximum range of 290km (155nm) and a speed of M2.5-2.8.
Source: Flight International
