"Another remarkable proof of continuity in governance": Jairam Ramesh on BrahMos supersonic cruise missile
New Delhi [India], May 12 (ANI): Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Monday highlighted 'continuity in governance' regarding the development and significance of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile post Operation Sindoor, launched by India against Pakistan in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.
'BrahMos is very much in the news these days. It is named after the Brahmaputra and the Moskva rivers and is an outstanding example of Indo-Russian collaboration. It is also yet another remarkable proof of continuity in governance which simply cannot be denied or erased - despite it being the regular habit of today's ruling establishment in New Delhi,' Jairam Ramesh posted on X.
In the mid-1990s, India's Integrated Missile Development Programme, launched in 1983, led to a collaboration with Russia for supersonic cruise missiles. Dr APJ Abdul Kalam and Dr Sivathanu Pillai spearheaded this initiative.
An inter-governmental agreement was signed on February 12, 1998, between India and Russia, with IK Gujral as the Prime Minister. The first contract followed on July 9, 1999, under Atal Bihari Vajpayee's leadership.
'The BrahMos HQ complex that includes design, simulation and aerospace knowledge facilities was inaugurated in New Delhi on Dec 4, 2004 by President Putin,' added the Congress leader.
The BrahMos missile made its debut on June 12, 2001, with a successful launch from a land-based launcher in Chandipur, Odisha. This marked the beginning of its induction into the Indian Armed Forces.
The missile was introduced into the Indian Navy in 2005 and the Indian Army in 2007. The air-launched variant took flight in 2012.
'All this was when Dr. Manmohan Singh was PM. It was his leadership that led to the historic Indo-US nuclear agreement of 2005, paving the way for India finally joining the Missile Technology Control Regime eleven years later. It was also during his tenure that the BrahMos Integration Complex in Hyderabad and the Brahmos Aerospace Thiruvananthapuram Limited were established,' said Ramesh on his X post.
The BrahMos missile system has solidified India's position in defense diplomacy: Cruise Missile Triad that enables precision attacks against land and sea targets; Deterrent Capability, which strengthens India's defense posture with its supersonic speed and range and Indo-Russian Collaboration showcasing successful bilateral cooperation in defense technology.
BrahMos boasts impressive capabilities like, reaching supersonic speeds, cruising close to Mach 3; can be launched from land, air, ships, and submarines; initial range of 290 km, with versions being developed for up to 800 km and advanced guidance and stealth technology for precise targeting.
The BrahMos has undergone significant upgrades, versions with increased range, such as BrahMos-ER, have been tested; BrahMos-II, with speeds of Mach 7-8, is under development and BrahMos-NG, with reduced size and radar cross-section, is being developed for enhanced capabilities.
Meanwhile, the Director Generals of Military Operations of India and Pakistan held talks today, sources said. They said talks between the two DGMOs have been completed for today.
The DGMO-level talks between the two countries, which were initially slated to take place around noon on Monday, were later scheduled for the evening.
The two countries reached an understanding on Saturday on the stoppage of firing and military action following a call made by the Pakistan DGMO to his Indian counterpart Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai.
Lt Gen Ghai, who interacted with the media at a joint press conference on Sunday, said his Pakistan counterpart proposed during an interaction on Saturday that 'we cease hostilities'.
Lt Gen Ghai said his counterpart was informed about the violations through a hotline message. India made its intent clear that it would respond to the same 'fiercely' if repeated, for which the Chief of Army Staff has granted full authority to the Army Commanders.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 and struck nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir in response to a ghastly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam last month in which 26 people were killed. (ANI)
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