A Journey of 25 Years

Atul Chandra

The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile programme is one of the most visible symbols of India’s enduring military partnership with Russia. It is now also over five decades, since India and the erstwhile USSR entered into the 1971 Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation and more than two decades, since India and Russia announced the Declaration on Strategic Partnership. The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile programme was one of the first deals between India and Russia, which evolved beyond the simple buyer-seller relationship to one which focussed on joint research & development, production of high-end defence technologies.

In the last 25 years, the BrahMos weapon system has gone to become one of the mainstays of India’s tactical missile arsenal and the weapon system is in use on land, air and sea, with the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force. The BrahMos has grown into a potent weapon system, far evolved from tha