NEW DELHI, August 1. /TASS/. The hypersonic version of the BrahMos cruise missile - the BrahMos-II - will probably have the same specifications as the hypersonic version of the Tsirkon missile, BrahMos Aerospace CEO Atul Rane told TASS Monday, adding that it would take up to five or six years before first flight trials.

According to Atul Rane, "technology bricks" for a hypersonic missile have been designed by both sides.

"If they give us the technology bricks, then we will develop a hypersonic missile," the CEO said.

When asked if the BrahMos-II missile will have some "science" from the Tsirkon missile, Rane said that it is "possible."

He noted that, while the media announced first flight trials for such missile first for 2021 and later for 2024, he believes it would take "five to six year" before the trials will actually take place.

"The whole world is working on hypersonics. I have not seen anyone in the world having hypersonic cruise missiles. Russia says it tested the Tsirkon, developed by NPO Mashinostroyeniya," Rane noted, adding that while the US and China are both working on hypersonic cruise missiles, neither country has them yet.

He pointed out that the hypersonic version of the BrahMos missile will be very expensive.

The CEO noted that the BrahMos-II missile will not be exported; instead, it will only be produced for Russia and India.

Rane explained that India, being a party to the Missile Technology Control Regime, may develop missile with range of over 300 km and weight of over 500 kg, but cannot hand it over to third countries.

The BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile, developed by the joint Russian-Indian BrahMos Aerospace company. The missile has been jointly developed by Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya and India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO). The first trial launch took place in 2001. Various versions of this missile have been commissioned to India’s Navy, Air Force and ground forces. BrahMos Aerospace’s headquarters is in New Delhi. The name BrahMos is a combination of names of Brahmaputra River in India and Moskva River in Russia.