NEW DELHI: The defence ministry on Tuesday inked a Rs 661 crore contract with BrahMos Aerospace for fire-control systems and launchers for Navy warships, as the force moves to expand deployment of the supersonic cruise missile across its surface fleet.
It is learnt the systems are meant for two Veer-class missile corvettes and two Ranvir-class destroyers.
BrahMos is the Navy's "primary Surface to Surface Missile (SSM) system for maritime strike operations", capable of hitting land and sea targets from extended ranges with "pinpoint accuracy at supersonic speed", the ministry said.
The Navy is progressively arming more warships with BrahMos, its principal long-range anti-ship and land-attack weapon. New frontline warships come with the missile as a standard fit, while older vessels are being retrofitted.
The Veer-class corvettes were originally armed with Soviet-era P-15 Termit missiles. Plans to fit the ageing ships with BrahMos emerged last year, especially after the missile's use against Pakistani targets during Operation Sindoor.
The Ranvir-class destroyers are among the Navy's oldest frontline combatants. INS Ranvir became the first Indian warship to carry out a vertical BrahMos launch from a moving platform in 2008 and INS Ranvijay was later similarly upgraded.
The deal is part of a broader BrahMos build-up. In March 2024, the ministry signed around a Rs. 20,000 crore contract for missiles to meet the Navy's operational and training requirements, along with a Rs 988 crore contract for shipborne BrahMos systems, comprising the missile, launcher and fire-control architecture.
The Navy has also been pushing for higher indigenous content in the weapon. In March 2024, it test-fired a BrahMos fitted with an indigenous seeker and booster, a step towards cutting dependence on imported components.
BrahMos Aerospace is a joint venture between DRDO and Russia's NPO Mashinostroyeniya and the missile is deployed by all three services.