Defence ministry inks Rs 1,700 crore deal for additional BrahMos missiles for frontline warships | India News
The contract for the “dual-role” surface-to-surface missile, capable of both land and anti-ship attacks, was signed between the acquired wing of MoD and M/s BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd.
“The induction of these missiles will further enhance the combat capabilities of the Navy. The contract will also promote the production of key weapons and ammunition systems in the country, with the active participation of the domestic industry,” a MoD official said.
The air-breathing BrahMos, which flies at nearly three times the speed of sound at Mach 2.8, has emerged as a “precision strike conventional (non-nuclear) weapon” for the Indian armed forces. Degrees over the years, with contracts worth more than Rs 38,000 crore ink till now.
The range of the Russian-made BrahMos has also been extended from the original 290 km to 350-400 km today, while an 800 km variant is also in the pipeline, as previously reported by TOI. .
The Indian Navy’s newest guided-missile destroyer INS Visakhapatnam, commissioned last November, in January successfully tested the extended-range version of the missile. Ten frontline warships have been equipped with missiles, while vertical launch systems have also been installed on five other warships.
Army batteries of BrahMos missiles have been deployed in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh, along with tanks, artillery, surface-to-air missiles and other weapons, amid a military confrontation that has lasted more than 28 months with China continues.
The IAFFor its part, two squadrons of BrahMos are in service on land, while a sleeker air-launched version is also gradually being adopted on Sukhoi-30MKI fighters. With a combat radius of nearly 1,500 km without aerial refueling, Sukhoi equipped with BrahMos form a formidable long-range weapon package.
India is also in the process of supplying BrahMos missiles to the Philippines under a contract worth $375 million (Rs 2,770) signed in January this year, in the first export order expected to pave the way for more such contracts with this country as well as other ASEAN countries such as Indonesia and Vietnam. The UAE, Saudi Arabia and South Africa are among other countries that have shown interest in purchasing BrahMos missiles, as TOI previously reported.
