BATL to make airframes for BrahMos missile

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Three-year-old BrahMos Aerospace Thiruvananthapuram Ltd (BATL) will be entrusted with the job of manufacturing airframes for the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles. A decision on this will be finalised within a month, BrahMos Aerospace CEO Dr A Sivathanu Pillai said. With this, the BATL will become the second manufacturing hub for the airframes (the structure of the missile excluding engines). This is an opportunity come knocking for BATL, Pillai said. Propulsion systems, however, will continue to be made by outside agencies, he added.BrahMos Aerospace is set to step up production of the missiles - the fastest cruise missiles in operation at the moment - with the Army placing more orders. Sivathanu Pillai refused to enter into details, but said the orders constituted a large number. Airframes made of light alloy for the missiles are being manufactured by Godrej at present. They established a separate plant for the purpose, but it is not sufficient, he said. BATL, which is situated at Chakkai, had received some orders for making the cylindrical containers for the missiles. The company has also initiated work on Phase-II operations, Pillai said.The construction of a Missile Integration Complex, for which Defence Minister A K Antony had laid the foundation stone in 2009, is expected to be completed within a year. This project, which marks Phase-II, had got snagged in land issues.