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The submarine-launched version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile is being developed and will be fitted to Indian submarines to attack targets at sea or on land, a top official has said.
The submarine-launched version of BrahMos, jointly developed by India and Russia, will be fitted on the Indian Navy's Russian-built Kilo-class submarines, Vesti news channel reported quoting Sivathanu Pillai, the CEO of the joint venture that makes the missile, as saying.
This will make the submarines capable of attacking surface targets at sea or on land, he said.
He said the submarine version of BrahMos will be tested on an Indian submarine and negotiations are underway with the Indian Navy to provide one of its Kilo-class vessels for the trials.
Pillai, currently attending the International Naval Show in St Petersburg, said Russia's Rubin Design Bureau, which designed the Kilo-class vessels, had come to the conclusion that BrahMos missiles could be fitted on the diesel-electric submarines after some modifications.
BrahMos Aerospace has displayed a model of a Russian-designed submarine fitted with a battery of eight vertical launch tubes, which can be installed on the new generation Amur-class submarines in case they are selected for acquisition by the Indian Navy.
The development of the air force version of BrahMos is at an advance stage and it will be showcased at the Moscow International Aerospace Show in August.