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| Indonesia Interested In Acquiring BrahMos Cruise Missile2007-04-10 After Malaysia, another ASEAN nation, Indonesia, has evinced keen interest in acquiring Brahmos supersonic cruise missile, especially its ship-to-land versions.A visit to the Brahmos complex in New Delhi was the highlight of a tour by Indonesian Navy chief Admiral Siamet Soebijanto. Indonesia has taken keen interest in the cruise missile developed by India and Russia. On a three-day visit here, the Indonesian Naval chief had a meeting with the Defence Minister A K Antony after talks with his Indian counterpart Admiral Sureesh Mehta. Soebijanto was also given a detailed briefing on the security secnario in India and threat perceptions specially in its sprawling Island territories. He also met the Defence Secretary Shekhar Dutt. India and Indonesian Navies have been maintaining very close collobration over the past few years and have participated in bilateral as well as multilateral exercises in Andaman seas, Malacca Straits as well in waters off the Indian coast. After his meeting with the top defence brass here, the Indonesian Naval Chief is visiting Western Naval Command at Mumbai, where he is likely to be shown top-of-the-shelf warships. The BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft or land. It is a joint venture between Russia's Mashinostroeyenia, and India's Brahmos Corp. Propulsion is based on the Russian Yakhont missile, and guidance has been developed by Brahmos Corp. At speeds of Mach 2.5 to 2.8, it is about three times faster than the subsonic Tomahawk cruise missile. BrahMos is said to have the capability of attacking surface targets as low as 10 meters in altitude. It can gain a speed of Mach 2.8, and has a maximum range of 290 km[1]. The ship-launched and land-based missiles can carry a 200 kg warhead, whereas the aircraft-launched variant (BrahMos A) can carry a 300 kg warhead. It has a two-stage propulsion system, with a solid-propellant rocket for initial acceleration and a liquid-fueled ramjet responsible for sustained supersonic cruise. Air-breathing ramjet propulsion is much more fuel-efficient than rocket propulsion, giving the BrahMos a longer range than a pure rocket-powered missile would achieve. The high speed of the BrahMos enables it to inflict more damage than slower cruise missiles such as the Tomahawk. Although BrahMos is an anti-ship missile, it can also engage land based targets. It can be launched either in a vertical or inclined position and is capable of covering targets over a 360 degree horizon. The BrahMos missile has an identical configuration for land, sea, and sub-sea platforms. The air-launched version has a smaller booster and additional tail fins for added stability during launch. The BrahMos is currently being configured for aerial deployment with the Su-30MKI as its carrier. An expert committee from the DRDO and the Indian Air Force (IAF) has ruled out any structural modification to the advanced Su-30MKI if it is to be fitted with the supersonic BrahMos. Sponsored Links
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