Indian Navy looks to procure over 200 BrahMos missiles

In another mega deal for the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, the Indian Defence Ministry is now finalising the acquisition of over 200 more such missiles for frontline Navy warships.

The procurement proposal for the missiles and associated equipment will soon be taken up for consideration by the Rajnath Singh-led Defence Acquisitions Council (DAC). "It will be sent for the final nod to the PM-led cabinet committee on security," a source told TOI on March 13.

The exact contours of the deal, which will include deliveries over a long period, are being fine-tuned. "The actual cost will depend on the BrahMos numbers and configurations that finally get cleared... but it's likely to be upwards of Rs 15,000 crore," a source said, according to the Times of India.

Among other warships, these missiles will also be for the four Project-15B destroyers (two INS Visakhapatnam and INS Mormugao have been commissioned) as well as seven Project-17A frigates (five 'launched' in water till now).

Ten frontline warships are already armed with the BrahMos missiles jointly developed by Russia, which fly almost three times the speed of sound at Mach 2.8, while its vertical launch systems have also been installed on another five warships.

The Navy had tested the air-breathing BrahMos with "an indigenous seeker and booster designed by DRDO" from a warship in the Arabian Sea on March 5.

The armed forces are also progressively inducting the upgraded BrahMos missiles, with an extended range of 450-km from the original 290-km. A 800-km range variant of BrahMos has also undergone its maiden test, while a couple of more are slated this year, as was earlier reported by TOI.

BrahMos has emerged as the "prime conventional (non-nuclear) strike weapon" for the armed forces, with contracts worth over Rs 38,000 crore already inked till now.