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India.com
14 hours ago
- Politics
- India.com
‘Can We Buy BrahMos?': Pakistani General Gets A Stinging Clapback From Missile Maker
New Delhi: At an international arms expo in Dubai, a high-ranking Pakistan Army officer walked up to one of India's missile scientists. 'Would India ever sell the BrahMos missile to Pakistan?' he asked. Dr. Apathukatha Sivathanu Pillai, the man behind the indigenous missile, did not blink. Equal parts wit and warning, his response cut straight through: 'For Pakistan, it would be free of cost.' The hall went quiet. The message was clear. This was not just a casual exchange. It unfolded against the backdrop of heightened tensions between the two countries. India had recently launched Operation Sindoor in response to the deadly April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. The operation hit terror camps deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Following Pakistan's retaliatory strikes with missiles and drones, New Delhi responded back and successfully targeted Rawalpindi, Chakwal and Rahim Yar Khan. Skardu, Bholari and Jacobabad airbases took major hits. Even radar installations in Sialkot and Pasrur did not escape the precision strikes. At the heart of India's modern strike capability is BrahMos – a missile born of an Indo-Russian partnership but matured with Indian innovation. It carries weight. In reputation. In capability. And in message. The missile is no ordinary weapon. A two-stage system. The first stage fires a solid propellant booster, pushing the missile to supersonic speeds. Then it separates. The second stage, powered by a liquid-fueled ramjet, takes over and propels it to speeds nearing Mach 3. Designed with stealth features and advanced guidance, BrahMos travels with speed, silence and deadly accuracy. Named after the Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers, this missile is more than just a technological achievement. It is a statement. Today, India continues to work on making the BrahMos more indigenous. From private firms to state labs, the focus remains on tightening control, improving systems and pushing the limits. All while keeping the deterrent razor-sharp. So when Pakistan asked if it could buy one, the reply was not only sharp but calculated as well. Some things are never for sale, especially when the buyer is the target.
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First Post
19 hours ago
- Politics
- First Post
Can India sell BrahMos to Pakistan, asked Pak army general; missile creator replied would be delivered 'free of cost'
BrahMos is the fastest supersonic missile in the world, a significant advantage over Pakistan's Babur or Ra'ad missiles, both of which are subsonic. The missile is versatile, lethal, and, as it turns out, not for sale for Pakistan read more In the high-stakes world of missile development and international defence expos, one might not expect to find much room for humour. But Dr Apathukatha Sivathanu Pillai, revered as the 'father of BrahMos', recently offered a rare moment of levity in a podcast, recounting a cheeky encounter with a Pakistani army general. The exchange reportedly occurred at a defence exhibition in Dubai. Pillai said, that a senior Pakistani officer sidled up to him and posed the question: Would India consider selling its formidable BrahMos missile to Pakistan? STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Pillai replied, 'For Pakistan, it would be free of cost.' The missile in question The BrahMos is not your average projectile. Jointly developed by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia's NPO Mashinostroyeniya, it is capable of flying at speeds between Mach 2.8 and Mach 3.5. BrahMos is the fastest supersonic missile in the world, a significant advantage over Pakistan's Babur or Ra'ad missiles, both of which are subsonic. With a range that now varies between 290 and 800 kilometres, and talk of future variants reaching 1,500 kilometres, the missile is versatile, lethal, and, as it turns out, not for sale for Pakistan. Equipped with 'fire-and-forget' navigation systems, low radar visibility, and the flexibility to be launched from land, sea, air, and submarines, the BrahMos offers a degree of strategic mobility and accuracy that few regional adversaries can match. Its circular error probable (CEP) of 1–2 metres makes it a precision instrument of deterrence and power projection. The joke with an edge The timing of this story's resurfacing is especially relevant given India's increased deployment of BrahMos missiles, including during Operation Sindoor, in which Indian forces targeted terror camps and infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir after the Pahalgam terror attack. With support from private industry, DRDO is actively working to shift production and development into Indian hands, ensuring greater autonomy in upgrades and deployment.
