Soon the Indian Air Force (IAF) will get BrahMos-NG (next generation) supersonic cruise missile which will be on board the smaller aircraft including Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) `Tejas’, Mirage-2000 as well as the MiG-29s. This move comes amidst the ongoing border standoff between India and China, leading the IAF to equip several squadrons with BrahMos-capable aircraft.
Recognizing the effectiveness of BrahMos missiles for land attacks, the IAF has equipped numerous squadrons with BrahMos-modified aircraft in almost all squadrons across the IAF. Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari in his address at the ’25 Supersonic Years of Success’ ‘BRAHMOS Users Meet 2023’ in New Delhi emphasized the need for precision and long-range firepower, considering conflicts worldwide. He highlighted the importance of developing a smaller, cost-effective version of BrahMos that can be fitted onto smaller platforms.
In his address the IAF chief talked about the situation on the Northern borders three years ago, and how IAF realised the importance of the potent weapons that can be used very effectively for land attacks.
In view of the ongoing conflicts across the globe, the chief stated that the importance of precision and long-range firepower cannot be ignored and the need to focus on developing a smaller cost, a smaller weapon with the same reach and lethality.
Enhanced Capability
On the enhanced capabilities of the frontline fighter jets, the IAF chief said that the combination of BrahMos on the Sukhoi Su-30 has really given a tremendous capability. According to him it has enhanced IAF’s firepower and has made the deterrence value of the service go up.
The upgraded BrahMos and the BrahMos NG will remain the primary deterrent weapon for the IAF.
Earlier, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen Anil Chauhan said that Aatmanirbharta “does not imply that we will create everything in India”.
According to him `Aatmanirbharta’ does not mean that everything will be produced in India. He said that joint ventures will be formed and cited BrahMos as one such venture which has been successful.
BrahMos Aerospace is the India-Russia Defence Joint Venture (JV) between DRDO & NPOM.
Applauding the initiatives taken by BrahMos Aerospace to provide life extensions from the missiles already delivered, the CDS said that the decision to set up a BrahMos (manufacturing) facility in the UP Defence Industrial Corridor is also a significant development.
In his address Army Chief General Manoj Pande talked about the conflicts and the vulnerability of manned and unmanned platforms. According to him when it comes to engaging targets at longer ranges or in-depth then missiles are emerging as ‘the vectors of choice’.
Today, the Indian army remains the largest user of BrahMos missiles which were first deployed back in 2007.
Speaking on the occasion, Atul D Rane, DG (BrahMos, DRDO) and CEO & MD of BrahMos Aerospace said that the universal weapon’s operationalization in the Tri-Services of India has made us the first & only nation in the world to possess a ‘Supersonic Cruise Missile Triad’.
“BRAHMOS has rightfully broken the “Fifth-nation Syndrome” for us,” the Outlining the supersonic journey of BrahMos over 25 years, he said there are many firsts: More than 100 test firings of the missile have been conducted from air platforms, ground and ship – these include development trials and user acceptance trials at an unbeatable success rate.