Air Force to receive BrahMos by 2015

The company received first batch of 40 missile airframes from Godrej & Boyce today

BrahMos Aerospace is on track to supply cruise missiles to the Indian Air Force by 2015, the company's managing director A S Pillai has said. The BrahMos cruise missile which is jointly designed and developed by India and Russia has been inducted in the army and navy but its variant for the air force is undergoing trials.

Pillai spoke to media after receiving the first batch of 40 missile airframes from Godrej & Boyce today. The BrahMos missile's air version will be mounted on Su-30 aircraft.

The air force version will be lighter than its sea and ground variants and the planes will require upgrades. Flight trials will take place next year and deliveries to IAF are slated to begin in 2015.

"Currently we have orders worth $6 billion and various countries have shown interest to acquire the missiles,'' Pillai said. Responding to a query on why Russia had not inducted these missiles he said discussions were on this regard. "It is a question of their policy and requirement. We are making all out efforts and hope a decision is made soon,'' he said.

"We have been investing in aerospace business for last twenty years. It is of strategic importance to us though the technology business is not so important from turnover view point,'' said Jamshyd Godrej, chairman of Godrej & Boyce. He refused to reveal revenue contribution form aerospace business.

"Last month Godrej Aerospace completed the first production order of 40 sets of missile air-frame assemblies. Based on our superior performance and and dedication to the endeavour the second serial production order of another 100 sets has also been awarded to us,'' Godrej added.