In order to boost Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) in defence manufacture, the defence ministry on Thursday signed a 1,700 crore contract with BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd to purchase additional dual-role capable missiles for the navy.
The operational capability of the fleet assets of the Indian Navy will be greatly improved by the introduction of these dual-role capable missiles, it was said. The BrahMos missile's dual duty capability refers to its usage in both anti-ship and land attacks.
All three BrahMos types are in use by the Indian armed forces and may be launched from land, air, or sea.
In May, India successfully launched an extended-range BrahMos missile from a Sukhoi-30 fighter jet, striking the intended target in the Bay of Bengal with a direct hit.
The BrahMos missile, developed by an Indo-Russian partnership, has a 290 km range and reaches a top speed of Mach 2.8, making it the fastest cruise missile in the world (nearly three times the speed of sound). The 450–500 km range of the extended range variant was tested by the IAF in May.