The BrahMos Fire Control System and Launchers for Indian Navy ships will be procured under a Rs 661.50 crore contract that the Ministry of Defence signed with BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited (BAPL) in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh was present at the signing. The order falls under the Buy (Indian-IDDM) category.

BrahMos Fire Control System ordered under Buy (Indian-IDDM)

IDDM stands for Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured. Under the Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020 it sits at the top of the priority order for capital procurement and requires at least 50 percent indigenous content on the contract value. This project carries a minimum of 68 percent. The contract covers two parts of the shipborne weapon in a single order, the fire control system that directs an engagement and the launchers from which the missile leaves the ship.

The ships to be fitted and the delivery schedule were not part of the announcement, which is routine for naval weapon-fit orders.

Last month, on September 21, the ministry signed a Rs 586 crore contract for tank auxiliary power units with Accurate Industrial Controls Private Limited for the Army's T-72 and T-90 fleets under the Make-II route.

68 percent indigenous content with MSMEs in the supply chain

The project draws in a range of Indian industries, including micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and will generate employment over a period of three years. According to the Ministry of Defence, the contract bolsters India's maritime security architecture and defence capabilities, and is a key step in the ongoing effort to indigenise advanced military technology.

In June, BrahMos Aerospace and Solar Industries flagged off the 100th indigenous BrahMos booster at Nagpur, where output has climbed to six a month.

Indian Navy's primary surface to surface missile for maritime strike

BrahMos, fitted on board various frontline warships, is the Indian Navy's primary Surface to Surface Missile (SSM) system for maritime strike operations. The ministry said the weapon can engage land and sea targets from extended ranges with pinpoint accuracy at supersonic speed.

BrahMos Aerospace is an India-Russia joint venture between the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia's NPO Mashinostroyeniya. The missile takes its name from the Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers. The Indian Navy was the first service to induct it, and destroyers and frigates commissioned since have carried it as their main anti-ship and land attack weapon.

Shipborne BrahMos system last ordered in March 2024

The ministry's previous shipborne BrahMos system contract with BAPL was signed on March 1, 2024, at Rs 988.07 crore. It was one of five capital acquisition contracts signed that day, alongside a Rs 19,518.65 crore order for BrahMos missiles to meet the Navy's combat outfit and training requirements.

Export orders build alongside Navy contracts

Demand from abroad is rising too.

The Defence Secretary said last week that BrahMos export orders from Vietnam and Indonesia were taking shape, adding to the BrahMos export orders pipeline that began with the Philippines.