NEW DELHI. Sept 29 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia and India will jointly develop the BrahMos-2 universal supersonic cruise missile, Managing Director and CEO of the BrahMos joint venture Sivathanu Pillai said at a meeting of the joint venture's personnel with Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov on Monday.
They were honored to welcome the Russian defense minister, Pillai said. "BrahMos is a unique joint venture. We have worked together from the design stage through the delivery of missiles to servicemen," he said.
"The missiles were rapidly supplied to the Indian Navy and Army. We are working on an air-based modification, which will be used by both countries [Russia and India]," he said.
Pillai voiced the hope that the Russian Navy would buy the missile as well.
"The production of missiles will exceed 2,000 within the next 20 years. It was decided at today's meeting of the intergovernmental military-technical cooperation commission to form a working group on the design of the BrahMos-2 supersonic cruise missile," he said.
Russia and India views the BrahMos project as one of the most successful ventures, Serdyukov said.
"I am glad to visit the joint venture and to meet its personnel. Everyone knows the role the joint venture has played in military-technical cooperation between Russia and India. It has raised the level of partnership in the development of modern high-tech armaments," he said.