India Orders 35 Brahmos Missiles For Navy Worth Rs 1,700 Crore
Politics

India Orders 35 Brahmos Missiles For Navy Worth Rs 1,700 Crore

On Thursday, the Indian Defense Ministry signed a contract with BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd worth Rs. 1,700 crores. The deal is for buying additional dual-role capable missiles for the navy which will stimulate the Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) among the Defence sector. With dual-role capability, BrahMos missiles can be used for anti-ship and anti-land attacks.

The ministry said, “Induction of these dual-role capable missiles is going to enhance the operational capability of Indian Navy fleet assets significantly.” Indian armed forces use all three BrahMos variants, which can be launched from land, air, and sea. A Sukhoi-30 fighter aircraft successfully fired an extended-range BrahMos missile in May, achieving a direct hit on its intended target in the Bay of Bengal.

With a range of 290 kilometres and a top speed of Mach 2.8 (nearly three times the speed of sound), the BrahMos missile is the fastest cruise missile in the world. 450-500 kilometres were the range of the extended range variant tested by the IAF in May.

Since June 2016, India has been a member of the Missile Technology Control Regime, making it possible to increase the missile’s range. Additionally, India is developing a BrahMos missile with an even longer range, capable of striking targets more than 800 kilometres away.