Defence ministry inks ₹1,700-crore contract for more BrahMos missiles for navy

BrahMos variants can be launched from land, air and sea, and all three variants are in service in the Indian armed forces.

NEW DELHI: The defence ministry on Thursday signed a ₹1,700-crore contract with BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd for buying additional dual-role capable missiles for the navy, a move that will provide impetus to Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) in defence production, the ministry said in a statement.

Indian Navy successfully demonstrated the accuracy of an extended-range land-attack Brahmos supersonic cruise missile from the stealth destroyer INS Chennai in March this year (ANI)

“Induction of these dual-role capable missiles is going to significantly enhance the operational capability of Indian Navy fleet assets,” it added. Dual role capability refers to the use of BrahMos missile for land as well as anti-ship attacks.

BrahMos variants can be launched from land, air and sea, and all three variants are in service in the Indian armed forces.

In May, India successfully fired an extended range variant of BrahMos missile from a Sukhoi-30 fighter aircraft, with the weapon achieving a direct hit on the designated target in the Bay of Bengal.

The BrahMos missile, an Indo-Russian joint venture, has a range of 290 km and is the fastest cruise missile in the world with a top speed of Mach 2.8 (nearly three times the speed of sound). The extended range variant tested by IAF in May had a range of 450-500 km.

Increasing the missile’s range became possible after India’s induction into the Missile Technology Control Regime in June 2016. India is also laying the groundwork to develop an even longer range BrahMos missile, capable of striking targets more than 800 km away.

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