Next-gen BrahMos for Indian Navy, Rs 19K cr purchase cleared

Tribune News Service

Ajay Banerjee

New Delhi, February 22

Indian naval warships will be able to strike enemy targets at a greater distance with the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) giving its approval for procurement of next-generation BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles.

The CCS okayed 200 such missiles and associated equipment for the Indian Navy at a cost of around Rs 19,000 crore, sources said.

Called the BrahMos Extended Range (ER), the missile can fire at a distance of almost 500 km when launched from a warship. The existing BrahMos version — already inducted into the tri-services — has a range capped at 290 km as per the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) regulations.

India joined the MTCR in June 2016, which allowed range extension beyond 300 km. The ER version of the missile has been tested on frontline Indian warships and will be the standard weapon on platforms of the future, the sources said.

BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd, an India-Russian joint venture, produces the supersonic cruise missiles that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft or land platforms. BrahMos missile flies at a speed of 2.8 Mach or almost three times the speed of sound.

The formal contract for acquisition of the missiles is expected to be sealed in the next few months. India is also exporting the BrahMos missiles. In January 2022, India sealed a USD 375 million deal with the Philippines for supplying three batteries of the missile. The supply to the Southeast Asian country is set to begin next month. A few other countries, including Argentina, have also shown interest in procuring BrahMos missiles from India.

High-power radars for Air Force

To enhance the capability of the IAF, the CCS has cleared deals worth around Rs 13,000 crore to acquire new high-power radars and close-in weapon systems from Indian manufacturer Larsen and Toubro. ANI

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