As the 21st century has
already made it through the halfway of 2023, BrahMos Aerospace is also
delighted to mark its 25th year of existence. It was 12 February
1998 when the company was founded to give new wings to the Indo-Russian
friendship, collaborating between India’s Defence Research & Development
Organisation (DRDO) and NPO Mashinostroyeniya (NPOM). The vision of the Indo-Russian
Joint Venture (JV) was to develop and produce state-of-the-art cruise missiles
to cater to the requirement of a standoff strike solution. In its 8 month
schedule, starting from 12 June 2022 to 12 February 2023, BrahMos Aerospace
organised several events to interact with key allied sectors. The events
included:
Industry Partners Meet – To acknowledge
and highlight the invaluable contributions made by the JV’s key Industry
Partners as part of the Missile Manufacturing Industry Ecosystem within the
country.
User Interaction Meet – To acknowledge
the contribution and professionalism of the Indian Armed Forces operating the
world’s best supersonic cruise missile system.
A National level Competition on
cutting-edge technology and its application in Missiles & Aerospace field was
held with an aim to orient and nurture young talent in the field of Missile
Technology
The Industry meet was attended by
several key personalities of the Indian Armed Forces, which included Chief of
Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan who graced the occasion along with
Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, Chief of Army Staff
(COAS) General Manoj Pande and Vice Chief of Naval Staff (VCNS) Vice Adm Sanjay
Jasjit Singh.
“It was the visionary scientist Dr.
Kalam who played a pivotal role in giving shape to the BrahMos JV at a time
when the lethality, formidability and indomitability of precision-guided
weapons in modern warfare was becoming evident,” Mr. Rane stated while adding
that Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan Dr. A S Pillai, the founding CEO & MD of
BrahMos, led from the front to accomplish what was unthinkable for many leading
nations at that point of time.
“Our supersonic journey of 25 incredible
years has resulted in many ‘firsts’ for India. Over 100 test firings of BrahMos
have been conducted from India’s ground, ship and air platforms, both
development trials and user/acceptance trials, with an unbeatable success
rate,” the BrahMos Chief stated. “Our strong commitment to be an equal
shareholder with our Armed Forces in maintaining the BrahMos Weapon System(s)
remains our paramount motto,” he added.
Dr. Sanjeev K Joshi, Deputy CEO of
BrahMos, concluded the mega event by thanking the Chief Guest, the Guests of
Honour, officers from the Indian Armed Forces, scientists and engineers from
DRDO and NPOM and other esteemed guests. “Thanks to the Indian Armed Forces for
appreciating our after-sales Product Support. We assure best quality product
support not only in peacetime, but also in wartime, Dr. Joshi concluded.
About BrahMos cruise missile
The need for cruise missile systems in
India was highlighted after the Gulf War of 1990s, as a result, Dr. APJ Abdul
Kalam who was then the Scientific Advisor of India and Russian Defence Minister
N.V. Mikhailov signed an inter-governmental deal to establish BrahMos Aerospace
in 1998. The BrahMos joint venture was aimed to design, develop, manufacture
and market only supersonic cruise missile systems. The aim of BrahMos was
further propelled by the personal aspirations of Dr Kalam who wanted to give
the Country such a platform where it could proudly recognise the fact that
India was the first nation in the world to develop such technology.
BrahMos series of cruise missiles is the
primary product to be introduced by the JV. The design of the approximately
3-ton land and ship-based variant of the missile is derived from P-800 “Oniks”
missile currently in service with Russian forces. The Indian variant integrates
within itself a significant proportion of indigenous components (nearly 70%)
designed to match the enhancement required by Indian strike forces, which
includes increased precision, effective strike range and robust navigational
ability to carry out error-free pounding on the target.
The first test was conducted on 12 June
2001, and since then, it has gone through a series of upgrades and
modifications as required by different wings of the Indian armed forces at
different points in time. The current BrahMos missile is a ramjet-powered
supersonic cruise missile with the capability to reach speeds as high as 1
km/second. The mighty speed of BrahMos combined with its huge warhead carrying
capacity provides it with much-needed momentum to even pierce through the
largest of ships. The missile is further difficult to intercept due to its high
speed, robust electronic counter-countermeasure system and terrain hugging/sea
skimming ability. The hypersonic variants of the missiles are planned in the
future with a scramjet propulsion system under the project of BrahMos Mk.2. The
BrahMos Mk.2 is expected to be the fastest hypersonic missile in the world and
would provide unmatched capabilities in the region.
25 years of excellence and achievements
Over the course of two plus decades,
BrahMos Aerospace has achieved numerous remarkable milestones and accomplished
several "firsts" within the country. As the company embarks on its
next phase, it has commenced work on a cutting-edge manufacturing centre for
BrahMos missiles in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, as part of the UP Defence
Industrial Corridor (UPDIC) Project.
On 3 June 2022, the Prime Minister Mr.
Narendra Modi initiated the groundbreaking ceremony for all major industrial
projects under UPDIC, which includes the establishment of a dedicated BrahMos
facility. This facility will be responsible for the design, development and
production of the highly advanced BrahMos Next-Generation (NG) weapon system.
BrahMos Aerospace has been allocated approximately
80 hectares of land in Uttar Pradesh for the construction of this new
manufacturing centre, with an initial investment of Rs. 300 Cr. The company
aims to complete all manufacturing-related tasks for the facility by mid-2024.
Once fully operational, the dedicated centre will have the capacity to produce
80-100 BrahMos systems annually.
Progress is also being made on the
development of the BrahMos-NG missile, which is expected to enter serial
production within the next three to five years. The establishment of the BrahMos-NG
manufacturing centre will strengthen the Missile Industry Consortium in India
and contribute to the growth of the defence ecosystem in high-end missile
technology. It will also position India as a leading defence technology hub
globally.
The supersonic cruise missile has
already been successfully integrated into all three branches of the Indian
Armed Forces, including the Indian Navy in 2005, the Indian Army in 2007 and
the Indian Air Force in 2020.
In a significant breakthrough for
India's military exports, the world-class BrahMos missile became the first
full-scale weapon to be exported to a responsible and friendly nation. On 28
January 2022, BrahMos Aerospace signed a historic contract with the Republic of
the Philippines to supply shore-based anti-ship BrahMos systems to the
Philippine Navy. This achievement highlights BrahMos Aerospace's role as a
proud ambassador of 'Make-in-India' and 'Design-in-India', as it now embarks on
the mission to 'Make-for-the-World'—a notable first for the joint venture and a
proud moment for India.
This multi-million-dollar export deal
for BrahMos missiles sets the stage for India's aspiration to become a top-tier
military manufacturer and exporter in the world in the coming years.
Article
by: Pratisht Chaudhry and Rishav
Photos:
The Vayu Team