Defense Ministry Signs 1,700-crore Deal For 35 BrahMos Missiles

On Thursday, the Defense Ministry signed a 1,700-crore contract with BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd for 35 combat and three practise BrahMos supersonic surface-to-surface cruise missiles for two P-15B class stealth guided missile destroyers of the Indian Navy.

The Defense Ministry said in a statement that putting these missiles into service will make a big difference in the Navy’s ability to do its job.

As a follow-up to the Kolkata class (Project 15A) destroyers, Project-15B is building four stealth guided missile destroyers at a cost of about 29,643.74 crore. They are called Visakhapatnam, Mormugao, Imphal, and Surat, which are all big cities in different parts of the country. While the INS Visakhapatnam won’t be ready until the end of 2021, the other three have already set sail.

They are made by the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited in Mumbai. They are made by the Navy’s Directorate of Naval Design. With a weight of 7,400 tonnes, they have improved stealth features that result in a smaller Radar Cross Section. They are also packed with high-tech weapons and sensors, such as BrahMos and Barak-8 Surface-to-Air missiles, that are at the cutting edge of technology.

Joint venture

The DRDO and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya worked together to make the BrahMos missile. The name of the missile comes from the Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers. The Indian armed forces have had this missile for a long time. It can be fired from land, sea, undersea, and air against both surface and sea-based targets.

As part of the Missile Technology Control Regime, the missile’s range was originally limited to 290 km (MTCR). After India joined the club in June 2016, DRDO officials said that the range would be increased to 450 km and later to 600 km. Several times, the ER version has been tested from warships, including the INS Visakhapatnam.