Posted on 06/25/2008 11:04:48 PM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
India, Russia develop airborne supersonic cruise missile
16:49 | 20/ 06/ 2008
NEW DELHI, June 20 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian-Indian BrahMos Aerospace joint venture has finished the development of the airborne version of an advanced supersonic missile, the company's managing director has said.
Established in 1998, BrahMos Aerospace designs, produces, and markets supersonic missiles, whose sea-based and land-based versions have been successfully tested and put into service with the Indian Army and Navy.
"For the airborne version...we had to reduce the mass of the missile and to ensure aerodynamic stability after its separation from the aircraft. The air-launched platform has its own initial speed during the launch of the missile, so we have reduced the size of the booster. Now the missile is ready," Sivathanu Pillai told RIA Novosti in an exclusive interview.
The BrahMos missile has a range of 180 miles (290 kms) and can carry a conventional warhead of up to 660 pounds. It can hit surface targets while flying at an altitude as low as 10 meters (30 feet) and at a speed of Mach 2.8, which is about three times faster than the U.S.-made subsonic Tomahawk cruise missile.
The official said the Indian Air Force had chosen SU-30 MKI Flanker-H multirole fighter as a trial platform for the missile.
"We have a schedule for flight trials, but progress has slowed down, as Russia's Sukhoi Design Bureau has its own priority for fifth generation aircraft," Pillai said.
India is planning to produce at least 140 Su-30MKI fighters by 2014 under a Russian license with full technology transfer.
Experts estimate that India might purchase up to 1,000 BrahMos missiles for its Armed Forces in the next decade, and export 2,000 to third countries during the same period.
This is going to be a very big problem when it comes to defensive measures used against it. At over 600 pounds for payload, it seems to me as if more than conventional warheads could be attatched to this thing. Good luck knocking it down at 1500 mph. Good luck at even seeing the thing before it’s too late.
It has a very long range also.
the range is enough. guess against which 2 countries India wants to use this against? one is haven of terrorists and another is haven for red menace!
More like 2,076 mph. to be nit picky.
It would be stupid to export this missile when countermeasures are hard to come by, in the first place.
Missile defense bump
“India, Russia develop airborne supersonic cruise missile”
Not to be a wise guy, but what other missles exist that aren’t airborne?
The title should have read air-launched!!
The Russians being the kind souls they are have already thrown many roadblocks to India promoting the Brahmos, putting their own Yakhont on show. Anyway, about the countermeasures part, well that’s what the promoters say. The US and European navies have developed a range of systems iincluding new missiles and electronic in recent years to tackle supersonic missiles.
Apart from its velocity, its range and payload are simliar (if not less than) to other cruise missiles available for export. The Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) restricts the sale/technology transfer of weapons with range greater than 300 km/payload more than 500 kg to non-member states.
Good luck aiming it at that speed.
At Mach 2.8, this thing won’t need a warhead. A block of steel at that speed is gonna hurt!
If it works we should order a mess of ‘em to replace the Harpoon.
That’s one of the reasons why I think we underestimate the threat the Chinese will pose in the not too distant future.
You’re not nit-picky, just an... LOL.
I was sloppy. You should have corrected me.
These things will be hard to defend against.
Check out this little utility. It is very small, sits on your desktop and lets you look like a math wizard...like me. lol
Convert For Windows And it's free.
I appreciate your comments. That was pretty much my take on it, but it’s nice to have someone else pipe up to confirm my perception.
I’m with you on that AppyPappy, but the article states it can hit it’s surface targets. With a nuclear warhead, it wouldn’t exactly have to hit the target dead on center.
Yes centrifical force would cause significant damage. Still, this is the answer to our space defense IMO. It would be very difficult to defend against them.
Yep, your thoughts run along the same lines as mine. Our Navy is half the size it was under Reagan, and I don’t see any signs of it being restored. Every time I mention it, folks try to explain the problem away.
We will be facing a nation hell bent on destroying us, in the next five to ten years. And about all that nation will have to do, is pull within a couple of hundred miles of our nation, and fire off a number of these weapons.
If that nation doesn’t mind losing half it’s population, it’s not going to care one bit about the response either.
BTW, I downloaded that conversion software. It’s not a problem of my math. It’s a problem of being careless. LOL I should have paid more attention to detail.
You take care.
Will do.
I think those “side jets” were there to stabilise the missile once it flips from a vertical position during launch, to a low-level horizontal position as soon as it leaves the storage silo.
If they didn’t use that technique, the missile would have had to attain a horizontal position at a much higher altitude, making it easier to detect by radar, or if the case presents itself, by visual identification.
Horrible sound on the video, though. I had found it on an online forum (here?) a long time ago.
I wouldn’t doubt it, but I was addressing the major push just before and during it transition to horizontal flight.
I appreciate the follow-up.
That convert tool is a handy lil sucker! Thanks!
You’re welcome. It’s a lot of fun when figures start getting tossed about.
//I think we underestimate the threat the Chinese will pose in the not too distant future//
I hear you. And I hope that we have a lot more up our sleeve than what we are showing right now (approx 125 F-22’s).
For all of his faults and supposed failures, I would go with Dubya again in this environment. But he does not have it in him I think. Lord help us if Obama gets in.
On the other hand, France is waking up to the Islamic threat, and there are a few other nations pushing back at Russia (Poland, Lihuania).
Regards,
I do think we need a strong leader who can move both public and political opinion. Bush does not have the gravitas to accomplish that. I wish it weren’t so, but his numbers are abysmal. I think he could have helped himself a lot more than he did, and so I can’t back the guy.
I understand some of the reasons you said what you did regarding him. I can appreciate that.
Your comments on our preparedness (and I do think that was what you were addressing) are timely. I do not like seeing us withdraw from the sea. Our Navy is half the size it was under Reagan, and shrinking. Do our leaders think that void will go unfilled?
We’re a shrinking violet nation, in an uncertain world. The one theater level of military preparedness is downright dangerous. We are setting up a situation where two or three hot spots could come along, and we’d be swamped.
We see some of our European allies shinking their forces, and at the same time shrink our own. Who do we expect to defend the west, citizens with good thoughts?
I don’t like what I see. We have other nations arming, and our own whistling dixie on the way to the prom.
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