NEW DELHI: The Indian Navy is set to acquire 200 extended-range BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles in what could be the largest-ever deal of its kind.
The procurement proposal for the missiles and associated equipment will soon be considered by the Rajnath Singh-led Defence Acquisitions Council before being sent for final approval to the Cabinet Committee on Security led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The actual cost may depend on the BrahMos numbers and configurations that finally get cleared and it is likely to be upwards of Rs 15,000 crore.
The deal will include deliveries over a long period, and the missiles will be used by four Project15B destroyers and seven Project17A frigates. Ten frontline warships of the Indian Navy are already armed with the BrahMos missiles, which were jointly developed by Russia and India and fly almost three times the speed of sound at Mach 2.8.
In September last year, the Defence Ministry signed a Rs 1,700 crore deal to procure 38 BrahMos missiles for the Indian Navy.
In the last 20 years, BrahMos has evolved into a ‘brahmastra’, becoming a critical component of India’s offensive firepower. It has given the Army, Air Force and Navy a precision strike option and the ability to hit enemy targets from stand-off ranges. Over the years, the Defence Research and Development Organisation has indigenized the missile incrementally.
The ship-launched version of BrahMos missile tested earlier this month by the Indian Navy from a Kolkata class destroyer in the Arabian Sea was equipped with an indigenous seeker and booster.
In January 2022, India tested an improved version of the BrahMos missile with an increased indigenous content of 70 per cent. The missile was originally 50 per cent built in India.
