New Delhi (TIP)- In a big push for the ongoing self-reliance drive in the defence manufacturing sector, the defence ministry on Friday, March 1, signed five contracts worth Rs.39,125 crore for BrahMos missiles, ship-borne Brahmos systems, close-in weapon systems, high-power radars, and aero-engines for MiG-29 fighter planes.
“These deals will further strengthen indigenous capabilities, save foreign exchange and reduce dependency on foreign origin equipment manufacturers,” the defence ministry said in a statement.
Two of these deals were signed with BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited — one for around 200 BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles worth Rs.19,518.65 crore and the other for ship-borne BrahMos systems worth ?988.07 crore. The Cabinet Committee on Security, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved these deals recently to boost India’s naval power. The BrahMos missile has been developed by India and Russia.
“These missiles would be utilised to meet combat and training requirements of the Indian Navy. This project is likely to generate employment of 9 lakh man-days in the joint venture entity and around 135 lakh man-days in ancillary industries…The ship-borne BrahMos system is the Indian Navy’s primary weapon for maritime strike operations fitted on board various frontline warships. This project is likely to generate employment of around 60,000 man-days over a period of 7-8 years,” the statement said.
It is the fastest cruise missile in the world with a speed of Mach 2.8, nearly three times the speed of sound. BrahMos variants can be launched from land, air and sea, and all three variants are in service in the Indian armed forces. BrahMos missiles can strike targets at 290 km and its extended range variant can hit targets at 500 km.
Two contracts were signed with Larsen & Toubro Limited for close-in weapon systems (CIWS) worth Rs 7,668.82 crore for terminal air defence of select locations in the country, and high-power radars (HPR) with advanced surveillance features for ?5,700 crore to boost air defence capabilities.
CIWS is planned for deployments at various locations across India to protect vital assets from all types of low-flying, low-signature aerial threats, including unmanned aerial vehicles, L&T said in a statement. It consists of air defence guns, tracking radars and search radars linked to a command and control station.
“The CIWS project will boost and encourage active participation of Indian aerospace, defence and associated industries including MSMEs. The direct and indirect employment generated by this project would be about 2,400 persons/year over five years,” the defence ministry statement said.