Work has begun on a variant of the Indo-Russian BrahMos missile system that would, in the next few years, make India the only country with a submarine-launched supersonic cruise missile capability.

BrahMos, a joint venture between DRDO and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyenia, has asked the Navy to spare one of its Russian-made Kilo-class submarines as a test platform for the new missile. The request is likely to be shortly addressed. The missile is concurrently being configured for Russia’s Amur-class submarines — boats that will compete for a second-line of submarine construction at Mazagon Docks parallel to the French Scorpene line.

“The missile will be identical in all respects to the vertically launched land or ship launched version. The only modification will be the installation of a 7.65 metre thick cylindrical module to the submarine structure to house the missiles and fire control system,” BrahMos CEO A Sivathanu Pillai told The Indian Express today on a tour of the company’s facility in New Delhi.

The 290 km anti-ship and land attack missile is currently operational in the ship-launched profile on the Navy’s INS Rajput destroyer and shore-based vehicle launched variants. The Army is to induct the missiles this year in multiple regiments. The air-launched version to begin preliminary tests this year, culminating in flight tests from an IAF Su-30MKI fighter next year.

The BrahMos is also likely to create history by becoming the first missile export from India—¿ the Malaysian Navy has expressed a keen interest in the system and is likely to formalise an order during the year. “We expect a bigger market than we analysed initially. We will export in the near future to a few friendly countries. We expect a total of 1,000 missiles to meet the demand of India, Russia and these countries in the foreseeable future. Demand for anti-ship missiles is high,” Dr G Leonov Alexander, first deputy Director General of NPO Mashinostroyenia, said.

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