India set to place major BrahMos order – media

New Delhi wants a variant of the supersonic cruise missiles with a longer strike range

India is planning to place a large order for BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, ANI has reported.

The Indian Army is looking to add a long-range variant to its arsenal, the news agency reported, quoting Defense Ministry officials.

The Defense Ministry is expected to approve the Indian Army’s proposed purchase of the missiles at a meeting to be held soon, according to ANI.

BrahMos is jointly developed by India’s Defense Research and Development Organization and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya rocket design bureau, which produces Oniks missiles.

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BrahMos Aerospace Pvt. Ltd., the manufacturer of the missile, is named after the Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers.

The missile can be launched from ships, submarines, land, and air-based missile systems.

Earlier this month, Indonesia inked a deal to buy BrahMos missiles.

The next phase of the BrahMos project could involve the joint development of a missile system based on Russia’s Zircon hypersonic missile.

India has emerged as the world’s second-largest importer of weapons, accounting for 8.3% of global arms shipments from 2021-2025, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

New Delhi has traditionally relied heavily on Moscow for equipment and technology.

India and Russia have hinted at new projects that would entail technology transfers for aviation, naval, and missile platforms as India pushes to boost domestic manufacturing under its ‘Make in India’ initiative.