Numerous Buyers For BrahMos Missiles
Russia has conveyed that it was ready to approve the export of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to friendly foreign countries such as Vietnam and Philippines. Russian Federation‘s Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Russia in India Roman Babushkin told a virtual press meet, on 7 September, that the “formal approval for the export of BrahMos missile is coming” soon.
The BrahMos is a short-range ramjet supersonic cruise missile. It can be launched from aircraft, land, submarines or ships and has been developed at a low budget of $ 300 million.
Under the joint venture agreement signed in February 1998, the approval of both the partners is perforce required before either India or Russia can export the missile, even to friendly nations not in each other’s neighbourhood. Under the Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA), the export to a third country will be done after the necessary intergovernmental procedures have been cleared in both countries.
India has deployed the BrahMos missile for use by all the three Services, and the latest variant includes a steep strike capability that could in the future be used as an aircraft carrier killer.
India has been receiving queries for purchase of the missile from friendly nations, particularly those from South East Asia that have a running feud with China over territorial rights in the South China Sea. South East Asian nations, including Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia, apart from Vietnam and Philippines may be keen on purchasing BrahMos missiles from India as a counter to China.
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In August 2018, India had denied claims by Vietnam to procure the BrahMos missile but in July that year, the Ministry of Defence had informed Parliament that it had held talks on the sale of Bramhos missiles to Vietnam.
Among the other nations that have expressed interest in the BrahMos missile purchase are Brazil, Chile, South Korea, Algeria, Greece, South Africa, Egypt, and Bulgaria, with which India has had discussions on the export opportunity in the recent years. From the Gulf Region, UAE has expressed its keenness to buy this missile.
Chile has been keen to buy this missile and has been in constant talks with both India and Russia. As per the local laws, BrahMos Aerospace is already registered with Chilean Armed Forces.
The sale of the BrahMos missile — the only operational supersonic cruise missile globally and the longest-range artillery weapon in the Indian armed forces — could be a major irritant to China, which has been unleashing its expansionist tendencies with all of its neighbours, including India.
The BrahMos Missile which has been designed developed and produced jointly by India and Russia has generated a lot of interest globally and both governments of both countries are ready to export this supersonic missile to other countries.
BrahMos Aerospace has been actively participating in various expos in the South American Region including FIDAE show in Chile. The India-Russia Brahmos JV pavilion at the India Pavilion at the Army-2020 International Military and Technical Forum, on 23-29 August 2020, received a lot of attention.
BrahMos Aerospace was established in 1998 as a joint venture — NPO Mashinostroyeniya and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and forming BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited. Under the special strategic relations that India and Russia enjoy, the joint venture for the BrahMos missile is quoted as a successful example for co-development and production. BrahMos missile has an option for expansion of its capabilities in the future too.
The BrahMos NG has great export potential as it can be compatible with most platforms which are being used by friendly nations. The NG of BrahMos has a shorter dimension is lighter and mightier to its predecessor variant and can go up to Mach 3.5.
Exports Up 700 Per Cent
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen Bipin Rawat stated that defence exports witnessed a staggering 700% growth in last 3 years. “Going by the phenomenal turnaround, we witnessed a staggering 700% growth in defence exports from Rs 1,521 crore in 2016-17 to Rs 10,745 crore in 2018-19, an all-time high ranking of 19th in the list of defence exporters in 2019,” said Bipin Rawat at e-symposium on ‘CatalysingDefence Exports’ via video conferencing in New Delhi on 9 September.
With the aim to achieve a manufacturing turnover of $25 bn or Rs 1,75,000 crore, including exports of $5 bn in aerospace and defence goods and services by 2025, in August, the Defence Ministry issued a draft ‘Defence Production & Export Promotion Policy (DPEPP) 2020’.
Specific incentives have been introduced under the foreign trade policy. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has facilitated a Line of Credit for foreign countries to import defence products.
Defence Attaches in Indian missions have been empowered to promote defence exports which would also strengthen defence diplomacy.
Catalysing Defence Exports
India, in recent years, announced a defence export strategy and a string of incentives to facilitate exports of military hardware including weapons, platforms and systems and their parts. The “Export Booklet” has listed weapons and Systems under five broad categories, Land Systems, Naval Systems, Air Systems, Communication Systems and Other Systems and their sub-systems.
Interestingly, only about Rs 800 crores has been exported by the DPSU/OFBs and the balance by the private sector. The target for 2020-21 is Rs. 15,000 crores. In effect, given India’s very robust aerospace &defence&D industrial capacity resident in the DPSUs, OFBs and the private sector Indian defence exports could and should do much better.
Comments
In order to enter the global arms trade as an important player in the highly specialized and technology driven defence ecosystem, India needs to develop smart strategies to energise its defence exports. Such a strategy should include, at one level, niche platforms and systems directed towards well identified target countries, various promotional mechanisms through offsets, counter trade options. At another level India’s highly innovative and talented MSMEs have to ramp up quality, quantity and value to become tierised suppliers of choice to Foreign OEMs. At yet another level, India as the de facto net security provider in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), could provide diplomatic support to promote defence exports to friendly foreign countries to help build local capability against terrorism, piracy, illegal trade and trafficking, resource protection etc. using Indian built platforms and systems.
