BrahMos Missiles
Source: Hindu
GS III: Science and Technology
What is discussed under BrahMos Missiles?
- Key Highlights of the Deal
- About BrahMos
Why in News?
- The Defence Ministry signed a 1,700-crore deal with BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd.
- The contract includes 35 combat and three training BrahMos supersonic surface-to-surface cruise missiles for the Indian Navy’s two P-15B stealth-guided missile destroyers.
Key Highlights of the Deal
- The introduction of these dual-role capable missiles will greatly improve the operating capabilities of Navy fleet assets.
- They are designed by the Navy’s Directorate of Naval Design and built by Mumbai-based Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited.
- They have a displacement of 7,400 tonnes with a maximum speed of 30 knots, 63 metres in length and increased stealth characteristics, resulting in a lower radar cross-section.
- They are loaded with advanced state-of-the-art armaments and sensors, such as BrahMos and Barak-8 Surface-to-Air missiles.
About Project 15B
- Four stealth-guided missile destroyers are being built under Project-15B at a cost of around 29,643.74 crores as a follow-up to the Kolkata class (Project 15A) destroyers.
- These destroyers have been named after key cities in four corners of the country:
- Imphal, Surat, Visakhapatnam, and Mormugao.
- While the INS Visakhapatnam was commissioned by the end of 2021, the other three have already entered service.
- The lead ship of the Project 15B stealth-guided missile destroyers was INS Visakhapatnam, which was built at Mazgaon Docks Limited (MDL).
- This was created by the Directorate of Naval Design, the Indian Navy’s in-house design group.
About BrahMos
- The BrahMos missile is a collaboration between the DRDO and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya.
- It takes its name from the Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers.
Photo by Taylor Peake on Unsplash - The missile, which can be fired from land, sea, subsea, and air against the surface and marine-based targets, has long been used by the Indian military.
- The missile’s range was initially limited to 290 kilometres due to Missile Technology Control Regime requirements (MTCR).
- Following India’s admission to the club in June 2016, DRDO officials claimed that the range will be increased to 450 km and, ultimately, 600 km.
- The ER version has been tested on numerous vessels, notably INS Visakhapatnam.
- It has major indigenous weapons including:
- BrahMos Surface-to-Surface Missiles from BAPL
- Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missiles (BEL, Bangalore)
- Indigenous Torpedo Tube Launchers (Larsen & Toubro, Mumbai)
- 76mm Super Rapid Gun Mount (BHEL, Haridwar)
- Anti-Submarine Indigenous Rocket Launchers (Larsen & Toubro, Mumbai)
- It is being propelled by four powerful Gas Turbines in a Combined Gas and Gas (COGAG) configuration.
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