GANDHINAGAR /India/, October 18. /TASS/. The qualification trials of the BrahMos NG missile are expected to begin in early 2024, says BrahMos Aerospace CEO Atul Rane told Russian reporters Tuesday.

"What we are doing is this new generation [BrahMos NG - TASS]. The design is going on right now. We will be doing the design review in [NPO Mashinostroyeniya] in Moscow. And we hope to get into qualification trials within one year. Let’s say in 2023 or early 2024," Rane said.

He added that the new missile weighs almost half as much as the regular Brahmos missile.

"1,330 kg is what we are aiming for. Performance in terms of range is exactly the same 300 kilometers. [We want it to be] launchable from any aircraft [in service in India]," the CEO said.

The BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile, produced by the BrahMos Aerospace joint Russian-Indian enterprise. It is designed by Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya and the Defense Research and Development Organization of India (DRDO). The first test launch took place in 2001. Various versions of the missile were commissioned for all three branches of the Indian military: the Army, the Navy and the Air Force.