Cabinet approves ₹19,000-crore BrahMos missile purchase for Indian Navy: Report
The BrahMos Aerospace is scheduled to sign the contract with the Ministry of Defence in the initial week of March
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has approved the purchase of over 200 BrahMos missile extended-range supersonic cruise missiles for the Indian Navy, enhancing its operational capabilities, according to ANI reports. This ambitious procurement, valued at approximately ₹19,000 crore, received the committee’s approval during a meeting on Wednesday evening.
It is anticipated that the agreement between BrahMos Aerospace – a joint venture between India and Russia in the aerospace and defence sector – and the Indian Ministry of Defence will be finalized in the early days of March.
Established in 1998, BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited emerged from a collaboration between India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya. Although initially shared equally, India has since increased its ownership stake in the New Delhi-based company.
BrahMos Aerospace takes charge of the BrahMos missile system’s design, development, manufacturing, and sales efforts, boasting one of the world’s fastest cruise missiles.
Significant strides have been made towards the indigenization of the BrahMos missile by the corporation, with an ongoing effort to localize more components.
Following a bilateral agreement nearly two years ago valued at close to $375 million, India has commenced exporting the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines. This decision to acquire additional BrahMos missiles by the cabinet committee closely follows the Defence Ministry’s endorsement of acquiring nine maritime surveillance aircraft for the Indian Navy and six for the Indian Coast Guard, involving the creation of 15 maritime patrol aircraft based on the C-295 transport aircraft. This project, a collaboration between Tata Advanced Systems and Airbus, is estimated at ₹29,000 crore.
These maritime patrol aircraft will be outfitted with necessary radars and sensors, converting them for their role by the Defence Research and Development Organisation’s Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS), as reported by ANI.
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