New Delhi: The surface-to-surface version of the Indo-Russian supersonic cruise missile BrahMos is ready for deployment, far ahead of the schedule, which will multiply the Army's firepower capability in the Western sector, DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) official said today (Feb 5, 2004).

The land version of the 290 km range missile capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads, mounted on a 12x12 drive carrier, is on display at the DRDO pavilion at the ongoing Defence Expo 2004 in New Delhi.

The launch of the missile was being planned for sometime next year.

DRDO officials said that a number of tests of the land version of the solid fuel missile had been carried out at the interim test range at Balasore in November 2003.

The scientists at the RDE engineering facility at Pune have now developed an indigenous heavy-duty Tatra-based carrier on which the missiles have been mounted, giving them all terrain mobility.

The country's top Defence scientists and DRDO Chief Dr V K Atre had earlier said that only the Naval version of the missile had been cleared for induction on surface warships after number of successful trials.

The missile's entire guidance system is reported to be developed by the Indian scientists, with the Russian scientists carrying out only system integration.

The land-based BrahMos missiles are single vehicle weapon carrying three missiles in containers with launch readiness time of five minutes. Officials said a group of launchers could form a battery under a command post.

The deployment readiness of the land-based BrahMos cruise missile will increase the Army's missile option as till date, it had only the 150 and 250 km range Prithvi surface-to-surface missiles.

The land-based missiles, DRDO officials said, were capable of being operational in the nuclear and biological environment and the carriers were fitted with Hydraulic launcher control system with the option of use by remote instruments.

The DRDO are also exhibiting the air version of the missile, whose length and diameter have been reduced to make them capable of being launched from recently acquired Russian SU-30MKI fighters from an altitude of 1000 to 1400 metres with a payload of 300 kg.