NEW DELHI, September 5 (RIA Novosti) - India has developed a submarine launched supersonic missile, a modification of the BrahMos Russian-Indian cruise missile, the Press Trust of India quoted Defense Minister A. K. Antony as saying.

He said the missile has yet to undergo trials before it can be adopted by the Navy.

The PTI quoted experts as saying that the submarines in service with the Navy, namely the German HDW series and the Russian Kilo class, do not have the capability to launch such missiles.

India has asked Russia for a loan of submarines to carry out test trials of the BrahMos underwater-launched missiles, or alternatively, that the trials be carried out in Russian waters, Naval sources said. India's Army adopted the BrahMos missile for service in late June.

The missile was developed as a joint venture set up by DRDO and Russia's Mashinostroyenia science and production association.

BrahMos is designed to engage targets flying at an altitude as low as 10 meters (30 feet) and at a speed of Mach 2.8, which is about three times faster than the U.S.-made subsonic Tomahawk cruise missile.

The company is currently working on an airborne version, which could be installed on the Sukhoi-30MKI air superiority fighters of the Indian Air Force.

Experts estimate that India might purchase up to 1,000 BrahMos missiles for its Armed Forces in the next decade, and export 2,000 to third countries during the same period.