Indian Navy Chief Admiral Hari Kumar has declared that the Brahmos supersonic cruise missile will become the primary weapon of the Indian Navy, supplanting older missile systems acquired from other countries. In an interview with an Indian media agency, he also stated Brahmos will now be our primary weapon as a surface-to-surface missile weapon.
He also stated that the Indian Air Force (IAF) and its fighter aircraft might adopt the Brahmos missile as the primary air to surface weapon. The Navy Chief praise the Brahmos for its evolution in the range, capabilities and lethality, emphasising that the missile is very potent missile.
Admiral Kumar highlighted the advantage of Brahmos being manufactured in India. He noted that “It made in India, so we are not dependent on anybody else. It can be repaired and spares are available. This self-reliance, he added is a significant for the Indian Navy.
“It is a very potent missile and it has been evolving also, in range capability and so on. So, the fact is that it is made in India, so we are not dependent on anybody else. It can be repaired and spares are available, so it has great advantage, he said. The Navy Chief comments follow the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) clearance of deal for over 200 Brahmos missiles under a contract worth 19,000 crore, expected to be signed on March 5, 2024.
Admiral Kumar made these remarks on the sidelines of the closing ceremony of the Defence Expo in Pune, where he emphasized the significance of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) in India’s quest to achieve self-reliance in defence manufacturing.
During his visit to the Defence Expo, the Navy Chief visted various stalls of MSME involved in defence manufacturing. He praised the exhibition for bringing together several MSME, highlighting importance of developing an ecosystem and environment for indigenization in defence manufacturing.
The Navy Chief said “This is a unique exhibition. They have been able to bring together several MSME. It has very important that we develop the ecosystem and environment for indigenization. Defence Expos facilitate this and encourage indigenous production. MSME Expos like this have huge significance. Over 118 contracts have been signed and around 10-12 projects have been approved. There are a lot of things which we are getting from the MSME and startups.”
The Defence Expo in Pune saw the participation of the large number of MSMEs, private companies, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO Laboratories) and the Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSU) set up in Maharashtra. This reflects India’s progress towards achieving self-reliance in defence and integration of Armed Forces requirements, research and developments and defence production by public and private players.
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