Indian Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar on Monday said that the Brahmos supersonic cruise missile will be the primary weapon of the Indian Navy, replacing the old missile system acquired from other countries.
"BrahMos will be our primary weapon now as the surface-to-surface missile weapon. Probably the Air Force and the air fighters also will have that as the primary air-to-surface weapon. This has evolved in range, in capabilities, in its lethality, and so on. So, this is going to be the mainstay for some time and that is why we are replacing all old missiles with this. Now, we also have the expertise to install it in a very quick time," the Navy Chief said.
Highlighting the fact that BrahMos is made in India, the Navy Chief said that the missile is "a great advantage".
"It is a very potent missile, and it has been evolving also, in range capability and so on. So the fact is that it is made in India, so we are not dependent on anybody else. It can be repaired, and spares are available. So it's a great advantage," he said.
The Navy Chief's remarks come soon after the Cabinet Committee on Security cleared the deal for over 200 BrahMos missiles under a ₹19,000 crore contract set to be signed on March 5.
The Navy Chief said this on the sidelines of the closing ceremony of the Maharashtra MSME Defence Expo at the Pune International Exhibition and Convention Centre (PIECC) in Pimpri-Chinchwad's Moshi.
The Navy Chief visited the expo on Monday. During his visit to various stalls of various defence manufacturing MSME industries, the Navy Chief highlighted the significance of MSME in India's mission to become 'Atmnirbhar' in defence manufacturing.
The Navy Chief said, "This is a unique exhibition. They have been able to bring together several MSMEs. It is very important that we develop the ecosystem and environment for indigenisation. Defence expos facilitate this and encourage indigenous production. MSME expos like this have huge significance. Over 118 contracts have been signed and around 10-12 products have also been approved. There are a lot of things we are getting from MSMEs and startups."
The expo saw the participation of a large number of MSMEs, private companies, Defence Research and Development Oraganisation (DRDO) laboratories and Defence Public Sector Unit (DPSU) setups in Maharashtra. This reflected India's progress towards achieving 'Atmanirbharta' in Defence and integration of Armed Forces requirements, R and D and Defence production by public and private players.
DRDO hands over 23 licensing agreements for transfer of technology
To enhance cooperation and synergy with the industry, a DRDO-Industry Meet was organised on Sunday during the expo.
The meeting was intended to apprise and update industries, especially the MSMEs & startups about various industry-friendly initiatives and policies of DRDO as well as address the concerns of the industry, an official statement from the Ministry of Defence said.
During the meeting, DRDO handed over 23 Licensing Agreements for Transfer of Technology (LATOT) to 22 industries in the presence of the Secretary Department of Defence (R&D) and Chairman DRDO Dr Samir V Kamat and other dignitaries. The technologies transferred cover the domains of electronics, laser technology, armaments, life sciences, materials science, combat vehicles, naval systems and aeronautics, it said.
