By Kamal Shah
In the dynamic realm of global defence innovation, India is carving out a formidable reputation. This has been underscored by the recent visit of Argentine Defence Minister Jorge Enrique Taiana to the BrahMos Aerospace Headquarters and the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) facilities in Bangalore. Following this high-level interaction with Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, whispers in the corridor suggest Argentina’s growing interest in India’s cutting-edge defence equipment. With particular focus on the BrahMos missile and the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), India’s potential as a leading defence exporter has come into sharp focus.
A standout in India’s defence repertoire is the BrahMos Next-Generation (NG) missile. An evolved variant of its predecessor, this lighter and more efficient missile tips the scales at a mere 1.33 tonnes. Its maiden launch is scheduled within the next two years, with production set to commence two to three years post-launch.
Concurrently, the BrahMos-NG is being assimilated with the SU-30 MKI, marking a major leap towards solidifying India’s air supremacy. Future plans include integrating this missile with the LCA Tejas. This significant weight reduction enables the SU-30 MKI to carry four BrahMos-NGs, and the LCA Tejas to include two in its weapons payload.
The past success of India’s BrahMos missile system export to the Philippines, a lucrative $375 million defence deal, coupled with the interest from over a dozen countries in the LCA Tejas, suggests a promising export market for this home-grown BrahMos and Tejas pairing.
Yet, challenges lie ahead. American defence and aerospace analyst Steve Trimble stresses that the BrahMos NG, formidable as it may be, necessitates a long-range, over-the-horizon targeting system. He argues that the LCA Tejas may not be always capable of independently identifying and targeting threats. This implies that nations procuring the BrahMos NG-Tejas combination would need to develop or acquire a compatible system.
In response to this, former Vice Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Anil Khosla (r), underlines the need for demonstrating domestic usage, stating, “The LCA Tejas and BrahMos NG package should be displayed at all air shows, and all RFIs/RFPs must be duly addressed.”
However, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria (r), former IAF Chief and current Chief Nodal Officer (CNO) of the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC), perceives the BrahMos NG integration as beneficial not just for meeting domestic operational needs but also for enhancing the appeal of the LCA Tejas to foreign air forces. He asserts that this prospective acquisition could deliver “game-changing” benefits to nations with territorial disputes with China by strengthening collective security through enhanced interoperability.
Supporting this viewpoint, former IAF VCAS, AM BN Ghokale (r), advocates for this integration as a compelling export proposition for South East Asian nations and as a decisive step in strengthening India’s presence in the Indo-Pacific.
While the potential hurdles of acquiring a long-range targeting system and establishing domestic induction and usage may pose challenges, the promise of the BrahMos NG and LCA Tejas pairing is not lost on defence experts. In the backdrop of India’s ambitious $5 billion export target, industry analysts predict a favourable position for this missile-aircraft duo in the global market.
Success however hinges on a host of factors such as safety protocols, audit compliance, production capability, post-sale support, and the involvement of the private sector and MSMEs, all of which will contribute to the feasibility of the project.
With ongoing negotiations with countries like the Philippines and Malaysia and discussions in progress with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, the export of the BrahMos NG and the LCA Tejas Mk1A could serve as a testament to the prowess of India’s indigenous defence industry. It would illustrate India’s capabilities to engineer and integrate such advanced weapons into a lightweight aircraft like the LCA Mk1A, thus setting the stage for the subsequent LCA Tejas Mk2.
The BrahMos NG and LCA Tejas combination presents appealing export opportunities, particularly for nations on China’s periphery and those bordering the South China Sea (SCS). This duo has the potential to significantly evolve the defence export market, improving interoperability among nations with territorial disputes with China.
Kamal Shah is the Editorial Editorial of Indian Aerospace & Defence
