According to Avinash Chander, head of Defense Research & Development Organization (DRDO) within Indian Ministry of Defense, India plans to produce missiles for its own defence needs independently by 2022.

“Our aim is to make it possible for India not to purchase missiles by 2022”, the  Press Trust news agency of India quoted him as saying.

Avinash Chander has reminded that DRDO is now developing Astra air-to-air missiles planned to be used on Su-30MKI fighters, subsonic cruise ground-to-ground Nirbhay missiles and antitank guided missiles (ATGM).

The Organization is planning to carry out tests of the Nirbhay missile. Its first launch on March 2014 was terminated as the missile deviated from the course.

Preparation for tests of the intercontinental Agni-5 ballistic missile are over and the missile can be fired within days from the target range which is situated on the Wheeler Island in the Bay of Bengal. The missile modification is expected to be tested from transporter-launcher container. The missile may be put into service in 2016.

 In a year Indian Air Force expects to receive an aviation version of the supersonic BrahMos cruise missile for Su-30MKI fighters.

As a new President of the India-Russian Joint Venture “BrahMos Aerospace” Sudhir Kumar Mishra said earlier in an interview with a TASS correspondent, India intends to sign an agreement with Russia on development of a smaller BrahMos missile version. It will be called BrahMos-M (mini), and it can take three years to design it.

Over the next 10 years the corporation is ready to develop the hypersonic BrahMos cruise.