Established – Independent – Trusted – Since 1956
Established – Independent – Trusted – Since 1956
Speaking to Mönch on the opening day of Euronaval 2016 in Paris on 17 October, a spokesman from New Delhi-based Brahmos Aerospace confirmed that integration of the company’s BRAHMOS missile continues on several classes of Indian Navy surface vessel.
“All relevant work on 12 vessels of different classes has now been completed,” he said, adding that integration efforts continue on further classes and that “at least five or six more years’” effort is in prospect under current plans. He confirmed that the vessels already in receipt of successful integration include at least one frigate class and one destroyer class, but was unable to comment on the exact number of further vessels to be enhanced.
Brahmos Aerospace is a joint Indian-Russian venture and has developed the BRAHMOS supersonic cruise missile, capable of being fired from surface, sub-surface, land-based and airborne platforms. With a range of 290km and advanced targeting and guidance features, BRAHMOS brings a significant capability upgrade to the platforms on which it is being installed.
Given the proposals for further development of sovereign capability in Indian industry in various defence and security domains - recently reported in our publications – and given the prominent position Russia holds as a supplier for Indian defence requirements, the state of collaboration between the two nations may soon serve as a model for further such collaboration on a wide range of upcoming programmes. “The level of cooperation with Russia has been very good and we are now in a phase of the programme in which the Indian side of the joint venture is performing the great majority of the work,” the spokesman told Mönch. “We have been pursuing a ‘Make in India’ strategy since well before the concept was launched and continue to seek additional opportunities to do so,” he concluded.
Tim Mahon
