MOD signs ₹661.50 crore contract for Brahmos fire-control systems, launchers for Navy ships

New Delhi: The Ministry of Defence on Tuesday signed a ₹661.50 crore contract with Brahmos Aerospace Private Limited (BAPL) for Brahmos fire control systems and launchers for Indian Navy ships under the Buy Indian-IDDM (indigenously designed, developed and manufactured) category. The agreement covers the shipboard systems required to control and deploy Brahmos rather than constituting a fresh purchase described simply as a missile deal.

Brahmos is already fitted aboard several frontline Navy warships and serves as the service’s primary surface-to-surface missile system for maritime strike operations. The weapon can engage land and sea targets at extended ranges with precision at supersonic speed.

The contract was signed in New Delhi in the presence of the defence secretary, Rajesh Kumar Singh. The fire-control system forms part of the ship’s combat architecture for employing the weapon, while the launcher provides the shipboard mechanism from which it is deployed.

68% indigenous content

The project carries a minimum 68 per cent indigenous content under the Buy Indian-IDDM category. The defence ministry said Indian industries, including micro, small and medium enterprises, would participate in the programme and that it would generate employment over three years.

The ministry said the procurement would support continuing efforts to indigenize advanced military technology while strengthening India’s maritime security architecture and defence capabilities. The 68 per cent figure relates specifically to the project under this contract and should not be read as the indigenous content level of the entire Brahmos weapon system.

The latest agreement follows a January 2023 Defence Acquisition Council approval for Brahmos launchers and fire control systems for Shivalik-class ships and next generation missile vessels under the Buy Indian-IDDM category. That approval was intended to enhance their maritime-strike capability, although the October 2026 contract does not publicly specify which ship classes or how many vessels are covered.

Brahmos Aerospace was established as a joint venture between India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyenia following an inter-governmental agreement signed on February 12, 1998. The company is responsible for the design, development, production and marketing of the Brahmos supersonic cruise missile system.

For the Navy, the ₹661.50 crore procurement supports the shipboard fire-control and launcher systems required to employ its primary surface-to-surface strike weapon, while the Buy Indian-IDDM route increases domestic participation in the project.