A senior Russian military source close to NPO Mashinostroyenia
rubbishes claims that China was given BrahMos technology for its CX-1
missile. This was also corroborated by a source close to BrahMos
Aerospace.
NPO Mashinostroyenia (NPOM), the Russian partner of India’s Defence
Research and Development Organization (DRDO) in BrahMos Aerospace, has not
passed on any technology to China for its CX-1 missile.
NPOM believes that neither the BrahMos supersonic cruisemissiles nor the Yakhont missiles manufactured in Russia have anything in
common with the Chinese missiles except for some external characteristics, a
high-ranking Russian military source close to the Russian rocket design bureau
told RIR.
“Judging by the photos, indeed, the missiles are observed as
having a similar external shape,” he said. “In addition, several media sources
have reported that the missiles have a similar maximum speed and flying range.
However, these characteristics cannot be used to make a judgment about the
rocket.” The source added that there were many other indicators.
The source also denied “that the transfer of Russian
technology to China, similar to BrahMos and Yakhont” took place. “There are many copies of the iPhone
released, including those with an apple logo on its frame. It is easy to
measure everything accurately with a ruler and copy it. It is difficult to
replicate what's inside,” he explained.
An Indian military source close to the BrahMos Aerospace,
having found out the information available about the existing CX-1, explained
to the RIR that the BrahMos missile has a significantly smaller front. “Its air
intake is very different. The BrahMos has a much smaller one,” he said. According
to him, “judging by the photos, the missile also has a different engine – not
the Ramlet Engine, installed in the BrahMos.”
He also said that when China purchased Project 956E and
Project 956EM armed destroyers from the USSR, it received the ASM Moskit
missile, which has a range of up to 120 kilometres. The development of the
missile began in 1973 in the MKB Raduga bureau in Dubna. In 2000, Russia
supplied more Moskits to China as part of the 956E armed destroyers project.
“Perhaps, the CX-1 was produced by China using an analogue of
the Moskit with modifications,” he added.
Earlier this week, a smear campaign was launched in certain
media outlets and social media claiming that Russia “betrayed” India by selling
BrahMos technology to China.
