New Delhi: The Defence ministry’s acquisitions wing and the BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd  signed a Rs 1,700-crore agreement for the supply of additional BRAHMOS supersonic cruise missiles on September 22. With this the worth of total contracts signed so far for these missiles exceeds Rs 38,000 crore.

“Induction of these missiles will further enhance the Navy’s operational capability. The contract will also boost indigenous production of the critical weapon system and ammunition, with active participation of the domestic industry,” according to a media report that quoted a defence ministry official.

BRAHMOS missiles fly at Mach 2.8 and are now the precision-strike conventional (non-nuclear) weapon. The “dual role” surface-to-surface missiles (capable of both land attack and anti-ship attacks) have a strike range of 290-km. They are meant for use by Indian Navy’s main warships. Ten frontline warships of the Navy are already armed with the missiles, while the vertical launch systems have also been installed on another five warships.

The range of BRAHMOS missiles, jointly produced by Russia, has also been extended from the original 290-km to 350-400-km now, while a 800-km variant is also in the works.

INS Visakhapatnam, the Navy’s latest guided-missile destroyer, had successfully tested BRAHMOS extended range version in January. The Army has deployed its BRAHMOS missile batteries Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh along with other weapon systems. The Air Force has inducted two land-based BRAHMOS squadrons. The air-launched version is being fitted on Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jets in a progressive manner.