BrahMos Aerospace
Indian-Russian joint venture aerospace and defense company that designs and manufactures the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile.
Company Type
state-owned
Founded
1998
Headquarters
New Delhi, India
About BrahMos Aerospace
BrahMos Aerospace designs, develops, manufactures, and markets the BrahMos family of supersonic cruise missiles. The BrahMos missile is a two-stage weapon system with a solid propellant booster engine in the first stage and a liquid ramjet engine in the second stage. The missile can carry a conventional warhead of approximately 200 to 300 kilograms and can be launched from multiple platforms including ships, submarines, aircraft, and land-based mobile launchers.
The BrahMos missile's key advantages include its supersonic speed (Mach 2.8 to 3), which gives targets minimal reaction time, its ability to perform evasive maneuvers during flight, and its versatility across multiple launch platforms. The missile can be used for anti-ship, land-attack, and coastal defense missions.
The company employs hundreds of engineers and defense professionals across its facilities in India and maintains close collaboration with Russian defense technology partners. BrahMos Aerospace has invested in expanding its manufacturing capabilities in India, aligning with the Indian government's "Make in India" defense initiative.
History of BrahMos Aerospace
BrahMos Aerospace was established on February 12, 1998, through an intergovernmental agreement between India and Russia. The company's name is derived from the Brahmaputra River of India and the Moskva River of Russia, symbolizing the partnership between the two nations. The joint venture was created to design, develop, produce, and market the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system.
The BrahMos missile was first successfully test-fired on June 12, 2001, from a land-based launcher. The missile demonstrated its ability to travel at speeds of Mach 2.8 to 3 (approximately 2,300 to 3,700 kilometers per hour), making it one of the fastest cruise missiles in the world at the time of its introduction. The missile has a range of approximately 290 kilometers (later extended to over 400 kilometers in upgraded versions).
Over the following two decades, BrahMos Aerospace developed multiple variants of the missile for different launch platforms. The ship-launched version was inducted into the Indian Navy in 2005, the land-based version entered service with the Indian Army, and the air-launched version (BrahMos-A) was successfully tested from a Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter aircraft in 2017. A submarine-launched variant has also been developed.
In 2022, the Philippines signed a contract worth approximately $375 million to purchase the BrahMos missile system, becoming the first export customer. The first batch of missiles was delivered to the Philippines in April 2025, with the second batch expected shortly after, bolstering the country's coastal defense capabilities amid tensions in the South China Sea.
BrahMos Aerospace is also developing next-generation variants, including the BrahMos-NG (Next Generation), a lighter and more compact version compatible with smaller platforms, and the BrahMos-II, a hypersonic version with speeds potentially exceeding Mach 5.
Brands Owned by BrahMos Aerospace
BrahMos Aerospace owns 1 brand in our database.
BrahMos Aerospace Ownership: Pros & Cons
Advantages
- +One of the fastest cruise missiles in the world with proven supersonic capability
- +Multi-platform versatility (ship, land, air, and submarine launch)
- +First export deal completed with the Philippines, opening international market opportunities
- +Strong backing from both Indian and Russian governments
- +Next-generation variants (BrahMos-NG and BrahMos-II) extend the product roadmap
Considerations
- -Joint venture structure between India and Russia creates geopolitical complexity
- -Western sanctions on Russia may complicate technology sharing and component supply
- -Export potential limited by political sensitivities and competition from Western missile systems
- -Hypersonic BrahMos-II development faces significant technical challenges
- -Dependence on government defense budgets for primary revenue
Frequently Asked Questions About BrahMos Aerospace
Who owns BrahMos Aerospace?
BrahMos Aerospace is a joint venture between India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which holds 50.5%, and Russia's NPO Mashinostroyeniya, which holds 49.5%. Both are state-owned defense organizations.
How fast is the BrahMos missile?
The BrahMos missile travels at speeds of Mach 2.8 to 3, approximately 2,300 to 3,700 kilometers per hour. This makes it one of the fastest cruise missiles in the world. The in-development BrahMos-II hypersonic variant aims to exceed Mach 5.
Has BrahMos been exported?
Yes, the Philippines became the first export customer for the BrahMos missile system, signing a contract worth approximately $375 million in 2022. The first batch of missiles was delivered to the Philippines in April 2025.
What does the name BrahMos mean?
The name BrahMos is derived from the Brahmaputra River of India and the Moskva River of Russia, symbolizing the partnership between the two nations in developing the missile system.
What is BrahMos-II?
BrahMos-II is a hypersonic cruise missile currently under development by BrahMos Aerospace. The missile is expected to travel at speeds exceeding Mach 5, significantly faster than the current BrahMos supersonic variants. DRDO has been testing scramjet combustor technology for the hypersonic variant.
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