NEW DELHI, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- India is working to increase the range of its supersonic BrahMos cruise missile to 450 km from the current 290 km, a top defense official has said.
"A change in the software will be needed, after which the missile will be tested for an enhanced range of 450 km. We will tentatively test it around March 10," head of state-owned Defense Research and Development Organisation S. Christopher told the media in the southern city of Bengalore Wednesday.
He said that the Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is also developing a second version of the BrahMos missile, with a range of 800 km. "This missile is likely to be developed over the next two-and-a-half years," the official added.
BrahMos is currently a short-range, ramjet supersonic cruise missile that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft or land. It is said to be the world's fastest anti-ship cruise missile in operation. The missile travels at a speed of Mach 2.8 to 3.0.
It is a joint venture between the Russian Federation's NPO Mashinostroeyenia and India's DRDO, which have together formed the BrahMos Aerospace.
