Neighbouring India Successfully Produces Supersonic Missiles, Begins Mass Assembly

A new manufacturing facility owned by BrahMos Aerospace in the northern Indian city of Lucknow has officially produced its first wave of missiles, becoming the largest such plant in the country. The full operation of this production centre has boosted the overall manufacturing capacity of the supersonic missiles by 20 per cent.

Co-Director of BrahMos Aerospace, Aleksandr Maksichev, confirmed that after completing the initial batch, technicians and workers are now accelerating efforts to finish the next stage of assembly within the massive facility. “The new facility has produced the first batch of missiles. Manufacturing for the second batch is now underway,” Maksichev told media on Monday.

Maksichev added that the inauguration of the Lucknow plant has significantly accelerated the work pace and massively increased the annual output volume of BrahMos missiles. The operational plant adds to India’s production strength, bringing the total number of BrahMos manufacturing facilities to four, with the other three located in Hyderabad, Thiruvananthapuram, and Pilani in the state of Rajasthan.

The BrahMos missile, whose name is derived from the Brahmaputra River in India and the Moskva River in Russia, is one of the fastest and most lethal supersonic cruise missiles in the world today. The tactical weapon was effectively used by the Indian military in an armed skirmish against Pakistan last year, instantly boosting its combat reputation in the global market.

Following this combat proving, international interest in the weapons system has reportedly soared, with New Delhi successfully selling the missile to the Philippines and Vietnam. Given its proven capabilities, draft trade agreements and intensive negotiations are reportedly underway with the governments of Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates, propelling the Indo-Russian defence joint venture to record revenues in the last fiscal year.