India has finalized two BrahMos missile export deals totaling nearly ₹40 billion ($450 million), expanding the reach of its jointly developed Indo-Russian supersonic cruise missile.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh confirmed the contracts but declined to name the client nations. These are the first international BrahMos sales since 2022, when the Philippines signed a $322 million deal for three shore-based anti-ship missile batteries.
Both Vietnam and Indonesia have previously explored the acquisition, though negotiations remain ongoing.
Capabilities and Features
The BrahMos, developed by India’s DRDO in collaboration with Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya, can achieve speeds of up to Mach 3. It uses a two-stage propulsion system—a solid booster for launch and a liquid-fueled ramjet for sustained flight.
The missile can engage surface and maritime targets at ranges up to 490 kilometers, following a sea-skimming flight path to reduce detection and increase survivability.
Armed with a 300-kilogram high-explosive warhead, BrahMos is deployed in multiple configurations: coastal defense batteries, naval vessels, and fighter aircraft, with a submarine-launched version also planned.
These latest export contracts underscore India’s growing status as a global defense supplier and the strategic relevance of the BrahMos program in the Indo-Pacific region.
