As part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s goal to export $5 billion worth of military gear by 2025, India has received orders for BrahMos cruise missiles worth $2.3 billion.
On Wednesday, the Cabinet Committee on Security in New Delhi approved the purchase of 200 BrahMos extended-range supersonic cruise missiles. The new weaponry, which Russia and India collaborated to create, will set you back about $2.3 billion, or about 190 billion rupees. According to claims in Indian media on Thursday, they will be deployed on warships. It is anticipated that the agreement with the Indo-Russian joint venture BrahMos Aerospace will be signed the following month.
BrahMos missiles, named after the Brahmaputra River in India and the Moskva in Russia, have an initial range of 290 kilometers (180 miles), although with improvements, that range has been increased to between 450 and 500 kilometers.
The joint venture manufactures missiles that can be used as submarines, land, air, or sea vehicles. Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India has set a goal of exporting $5 billion worth of military gear by 2025, and the sale of BrahMos missiles outside of the country is anticipated to be the main driver of this effort. BrahMos and the Philippines inked a $375 million contract in 2022 for the delivery of the high-capability missiles; the first deliveries are scheduled for March.
According to Mick Mulroy, an ABC News national security and defense analyst, Iran has provided drone submarines to Yemen’s Houthis.
BrahMos’ director of exports, Praveen Pathak, disclosed that the company’s order portfolio, which includes both domestic and international orders, has already hit $7 billion during the World Defense Show earlier this month in Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, he asserted that Saudi Arabia has demonstrated a “great deal of interest” in obtaining the missiles. Additionally, the head of India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) claimed that prospective purchasers of the missiles are “getting a lot of interest.” It is thought that Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand have shown interest in purchasing the cruise missiles.
The South Asian nation’s Navy makes considerable use of BrahMos missiles. This development coincides with enhanced marine patrols by India in response to attacks by Yemeni Houthi rebels on merchant ships passing through vital Red Marine and Gulf of Aden routes, as well as an upsurge in Somali pirate activity.
Rajnath Singh, the defense minister of India, announced the country’s intention to respond to attacks with “strict action,” emphasizing its aim to become one of the “net security providers” in the area. The declaration was made following an attack on the Japanese ship MV Chem Pluto in December, which occurred 400 kilometers west of the coast of India.
