The Russian-Indian joint venture BrahMos is an example of successful cooperation between Russia and foreign countries in the production of military products. For more than 20 years, Brahmos has been successfully producing supersonic cruise missiles of the same name, constantly improving them. This year, a landmark event happened for the company: in January, the first export contract was signed for the supply of Brahmos missiles to the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Alexander Maksichev, co-director of Brahmos from the Russian side, told Sergey Safronov about the plans of the company and the prospects for concluding new contracts in an interview with the head of the profile editorial office of MIA Rossiya Segodnya, Sergey Safronov.– Alexander Borisovich, this year a landmark event took place for the Brahmos company – the first export contract for Brahmos missiles was signed.
When will its implementation begin?– Indeed, the contract was signed in January 2022 in the amount of 375 million US dollars, and it is already being implemented.
The obligations between the Russian and Indian sides are divided. Brahmos signed a contract with NPO Mashinostroeniya, as well as with co-executors. The schedule of supplies of components and documentation has been approved.
According to the contract, the first part of it – the training of 45 officers of the Philippine Army in India – has already been successfully completed. A preliminary list of documentation is being prepared for transfer to the Philippine side. The contract assumes an option, that is, a possible increase in the number of delivered products (missiles – ed.) We are open to this.
The contract must be implemented within four years, plus one year for warranty service. Then contracts for post-warranty service will be concluded. The first deliveries of missiles will begin in 2023. These will be missiles for coastal defense, that is, it is a coastal missile system.
– Are there negotiations with other countries to conclude similar contracts?– Brahmos continues to negotiate contracts for the supply of supersonic cruise missiles of the same name with potential foreign customers from Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
We hope that in the next two or three years we will receive several more contracts.
– Have orders been received from the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation for the purchase of Brahmos missiles?– Not yet received.
But if they do, we are ready to fulfill such an order. In today's conditions, Brahmos missiles would be very useful to the Russian army.
– What is the order portfolio for today?– The portfolio of orders of the Brahmos company currently amounts to more than six billion US dollars, approaching 6.5 billion.
The increase was also due to the signing of a contract with the Philippines. In addition, we hope to increase domestic orders for the Indian armed forces.
– The Brahmos company has repeatedly upgraded and improved the rocket. Was it possible to increase its range?– In order for an anti-ship missile to be indestructible, it must "dive" under the radio horizon to be invisible.
That is, it must fly at a minimum altitude. And the air resistance at the bottom is six times stronger than at the top. Therefore, due to the strong resistance, the range is reduced. You can't fool physics. Therefore, despite the work on improving the engine, you will not achieve a special surplus.
But if we are talking about a universal missile that can also hit ground targets, it will be a trajectory with a vertical dive, then there is quite a lot of potential for increasing the range. Now the declared range is 290 kilometers, we have confirmed it. Not just confirmed, we have increased it significantly. For how long? This is still classified information.
– The rocket turned out to be not only multifunctional, but also unified. From which carriers can it start today?– Indeed, we have made not only a universal, but also a unified missile, that is, it can hit both sea and land targets.
And it can shoot both from land carriers and from sea ones, including a submarine. The rocket starts from a transport-launching cup, which allows you to shoot both from a surface position and from an underwater one. We tested the Brahmos underwater missile from a heated stand: we confirmed that it was coming out, flying to the desired range. Today we are waiting for a potential platform, that is, a submarine, on which our vertical complex can be installed.
Let me remind you that we tested the underwater version of the rocket back in 2012. Today we do not need to confirm its capabilities. But if the customer wants it, we are ready to make additional test launches.
I would like to emphasize once again that the missile turned out to be universal, initially it was anti-ship based on ships, then they made a shore, then a version for the army, then an aviation one. Now we have done the math that allows the same rocket to be used as a universal and unified one. This is very beneficial from the user's point of view, there is no need to specifically train, maintain.
– How are the works on the creation of a new aviation rocket BrahMos-NG (new generation)?– Work is underway.
On the Su-30MKI aircraft, instead of one Brahmos missile, it will be possible to place five at once. But today the customer considers the Indian Tejas aircraft as the carrier of our new rocket.
We have significantly succeeded, have become smarter, have decided on the appearance, we have agreed with our Indian partners how we will divide the work. What will they do, what will we do. If we sign a corresponding contract this year, then in four years the serial rocket will be ready: first there will be the production of samples, then conducting autonomous tests and eventually a series. On paper, we have already completed a certain part.
Today we already know that it will be a missile for hitting not only sea, but also land targets. We are making a universal rocket at once. At the same time, the product is being developed with the inherent modernization capabilities.
– A factory is being built in India for a new rocket. When will it be put into operation?– In three or four years, in 2025, we expect that the plant will be built.
New BrahMos-NG missiles will be produced there. The territory has been allocated for the construction of the plant. Now only OKRAS are going on this rocket. When they are finished, the plant will be ready.
– What is the current level of localization of production in India?– Localization of production…
Already more than half is produced in India. This suits everyone today: both the Indian side and ours. The localization task has been completed. The main thing that Russia produces is an engine. Many new units and assemblies have also been mastered in India, but they have not yet entered the stage of mass production.
– How are the hypersonic work going?– Work is underway.
There are still five to six years left, priorities, customer and requirements are changing.
– To date, all ships of the Indian Navy are armed with Brahmos naval missiles?– Of course not all.
Why everything? The ships of the first and second lines, yes, are armed. The task is to arm most of the ships of the first line, this task is successfully completed. For example, all frigates of Project 11356 purchased in Russia are armed with our missiles. All ships of this project will continue to be armed with our missiles.
– The newly purchased four new ships, too?– Absolutely, we have already done it.
We supply a complex, the ship cannot be handed over without installing all the equipment. The acceptance tests must pass with the confirmation of the operability of the complex. Brahmos delivered launchers and shipboard firing control equipment to Kaliningrad.
– Brahmos Company conducts a lot of tests to improve its products. How successful are they?–
This year we have conducted a record number of tests, in six months we have made 10 launches. Usually there are seven or eight launches for the whole year, but here there are 10 in six months. And from all carriers: a ship, a shore, an airplane. Various tasks were worked out as part of checking the combat readiness of the forces.
As a result of the launches, the highest accuracy was confirmed, the deviation from the target is no more than five meters. The reliability, accuracy, and training of the crew have been confirmed.
