By Ajit Dubey
New Delhi [India], November 25 : In a development that could be a significant boost for the Centre's vision to increase defence exports, India is close to securing defence deals worth around USD 450 million to supply the combat-proven BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles.
The deals for the BrahMos missiles, developed jointly by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia, are expected to be signed with India's friendly foreign countries, who have been highly impressed with the missile's capabilities after it hit multiple Pakistani air bases with great accuracy and left many of them out of use for several days during Operation Sindoor.
"The deals worth around USD 450 million are expected to be signed in the near future and are in final stages at the moment. These deals are expected to be followed by many more as there is big interest in the missiles by many other countries from across the globe," defence sources told ANI.
The missile was showcased at the recent Dubai Air Show and drew huge interest from potential buyer countries.
Soon after the missile's effective use against Pakistan, the Indian Defence Ministry cleared a large order for the procurement of a large number of BrahMos missiles for the Indian Navy warships, along with ground and air-launched versions of these weapons for the Indian Air Force.
During the four-day conflict, the missiles struck Pakistani air bases and Army cantonments across the country.
The Navy plans to equip its Veer-class warships with the missile, while the Indian Air Force would be using them to equip its Russian-origin Su-30 MKI fighter jet fleet.
A few months ago, the Indian Prime Minister praised the performance of the indigenous weapon systems in the conflict, saying, "During Operation Sindoor, the world saw the capabilities of our indigenous weapons. Our Air Defence Systems, missiles, and drones have proved the strength of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat', especially the Brahmos missiles."
In the first phase of the conflict, when India launched attacks on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan, including the terror headquarters of Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Toiba in Pakistan's Punjab province.
The BrahMos missile was the Indian Air Force's main weapon of choice, which hit targets with great precision.
The strikes from the BrahMos missiles caused extensive damage to Pakistani air bases, after which the Pakistan Army tried to retaliate in defence of the terrorist groups and their infrastructure.