Chinese CX-1 missile is not Brahmos copy: Sivathanu Pillai
NPOM, the Russian partner in the Brahmos project, has denied any such involvement, saying that though there is a physical as well as technical resemblance when it comes to range and projected speed, there is no question of Russian technology being used for the Chinese project.
Even though controversy is raging over a newly unveiled Chinese missile that bears an uncanny resemblance to the mainstay Indian Brahmos supersonic cruise missile, a top scientist who co-developed the system with Russia has said that the two are completely different and that Beijing is years from perfecting this technology.
A Sivathanu Pillai, who was heading the Indo-Russian Brahmos Joint Venture till August this year, has told India Today that he studied the Chinese Chaoxun-1 (CX-1) missile that was demonstrated at a Chinese air show last month and has concluded that though there is a superficial resemblance, the propulsion systems of the two missiles are different.
Pillai's comments come at a time when there have been reports in Chinese defence circles that the CX-1 is a copy of the Brahmos system, possibly made using Russian technology. Allegations surfaced that the technology was either passed on by Russia or was allegedly stolen. However NPOM, the Russian partner in the Brahmos project, has denied any such involvement, saying that though there is a physical as well as technical resemblance when it comes to range and projected speed, there is no question of Russian technology being used for the project.
"These are different missiles with different propulsion systems. In any case, we have been working on the Brahmos for over a decade and it will take a long time for anyone to catch up to the kind of technology it has," Pillai has said.
Exactly like the Brahmos, the CX-1 purportedly has a range of 280 km and can achieve a speed of up to Mach 3. It is also supposed to fly in low and quick to its target in the final stage, like the Brahmos. The CX-1 is believed to be targeted for the export market by China, a market that the Brahmos has not been able to exploit yet despite orders for hundreds of missiles already in place by the Army, Air Force and Navy.
The Brahmos is India's mainstay cruise missile and is fitted on both ground launchers and warships. It is the weapon of choice for precision attacks on enemy targets like radar sites, control nodes, communication systems and HQ areas. Touted by India as the fastest missile of its kind, it carries a conventional warhead of 200 to 300 kg. The launch of the air-version of Brahmos missile integrated with the Su-30MKI fighter is expected to be carried out shortly.