India's air force version of BrahMos cruise missile is all set to perform its maiden flight from Sukhoi-30MKI aircraft on Wednesday.
Defence sources said that the aircraft will take off from an air force base by noon in West Bengal and fire the missile against a target over the Bay of Bengal.
"The launch window is 10 am to 12 noon. Two aircraft have been kept ready. While one has been integrated with the missile another will track all along its flight - from fire to hit. We all are excited for the mission," said a defence official from New Delhi.
Defence sources said the BrahMos Aerospace had to reduce the weight of the missile as it is to be launched from a moving platform unlike its army and navy versions. Some modifications have also been made in its design to easily integrate it in Sukhoi aircraft.
Jointly developed by India and Russia, the BrahMos missile is fastest in the world that has a strike range of 290 km and carries a conventional warhead up to 300 kg. With high-precision, it has devastating power at a supersonic speed of Mach 2.8.