The Hindu : National : Hypersonic reusable missile next: Pillai

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 16, 2007
ePaper


<SCRIPT language='JavaScript1.1' SRC="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/N4322.hinduonline/B2155503.3;abr=!ie;sz=468x60;ord=[timestamp]?"> </SCRIPT> <NOSCRIPT> <A HREF="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/N4322.hinduonline/B2155503.3;abr=!ie4;abr=!ie5;sz=468x60;ord=[timestamp]?"> <IMG SRC="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/N4322.hinduonline/B2155503.3;abr=!ie4;abr=!ie5;sz=468x60;ord=[timestamp]?" BORDER=0 WIDTH=468 HEIGHT=60 ALT="Click Here"></A> </NOSCRIPT>

National

National

Hypersonic reusable missile next: Pillai

Special Correspondent

It will attack the target and return to base, he says

VISAKHAPATNAM: After successfully testing and absorbing into the defence system the world leader — 290-km range BrahMos supersonic cruise missile — India is all set to develop a more advanced hypersonic reusable missile, which will go to target, deliver the warhead (attack the target) and return to the base.

"We are studying the project and the missile system, when developed, could cruise to the enemy's target at a maximum speed of mach-4," said A. Sivathanu Pillai, BrahMos Aerospace Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director. He was addressing students of the Andhra University College of Engineering on "Indian Aerospace Programme - present and future." Mach is the speed of sound and one Mach is approximately 1,238 km per hour at sea level (the speed of sound depends upon the atmosphere through which it travels).

While BrahMos is the supersonic cruise missile, which travels at 2.8-3 Mach, the new missile may travel at 4 Mach, which is why it is called hypersonic.

Dr. Pillai said there were plans to develop hyper planes for defence forces, which could travel four times faster than sound.

Prithvi missile

Referring to advances in the rocket and missile system, thanks to the efforts of Indian space scientists, Dr. Pillai said the Prithvi missile was the first in the world which had a manoeuvrable trajectory and could be made to hit the target precisely, avoiding all the defensive mechanisms deployed by the enemy.

The Nag missile was a "fire and forget" weapon which the operator need not keep guiding. He could be sure that the target would be destroyed.

On the mission to the moon, Dr. Pillai said everything was going in the right direction.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National