Thursday, March 9 2006 20:17 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: India has made operational surface-to-surface version of the supersonic Brahmos cruise missile, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee told Rajya Sabha today (Mar 09 2006).

He said it would be operated through a mobile launcher specially developed for the purpose indigenously.

In a written reply, the Minister said the air to ground version of the missile was at present under development stage.

According to defence sources, Indian and Russian defence experts are working on a miniature version of the missile to make it capable of being launched from the Sukhoi-30MKI multi-role fighters.

The Naval version of the missile with a deadly capability of hitting targets at a range of nearly 300 kms has already been mounted in a number of new warships acquired from Russia.

In reply to another question, the Minister said that missiles being developed by the Department of Defence Research and Development had export potential.

Without naming the missiles, which could be put on market, the Minister said, "Government will take appropriate decision at a suitable time for export of missiles to friendly countries."

However, he made it clear that DRDO had so far not been contacted by any country for the purchase of missile.

Rama Muni Reddy of TDP had asked whether with Government approval DRDO had decided to put in the market missiles like surface-to-air Akash and Trishul, anti-tank Nag and Brahmos missiles.