The Indian Navy is modernizing two destroyers and two missile corvettes of Soviet design by equipping them with BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles.
This was reported by Naval News.
The agreement, worth 6.615 billion rupees (about $68 million), was signed on October 6. It provides for the procurement of ship-based launchers and fire control systems. The share of Indian-manufactured components is to exceed 68%.
The new weapons will be installed on two Ranvir-class destroyers (Project 61ME) and two Veer-class corvettes (Project 1241RE). The specific ships have not been officially named.
Between 1980 and 1987, the Indian Navy received five Project 61ME destroyers from the Soviet Union. Currently, three remain in service: INS Rana, INS Ranvir, and INS Ranvijay.
The latter two already have eight-cell BrahMos vertical launch systems at the stern, but they still carry four inclined launchers for the obsolete P-15 Termit anti-ship missiles at the bow.
It is these ships that are most likely to receive additional armament to replace the Soviet systems. In that case, the total warhead load for each ship could increase to 16 missiles, as on modern Indian destroyers of the Kolkata and Visakhapatnam classes.
In addition to the destroyers, the rearmament will include the Veer-class corvettes, which are an Indian modification of the Soviet Project 1241 Molniya missile boats. New Delhi initially purchased five such ships from the USSR and later built eight more under license at its own shipyards.
The INS Vidyut previously underwent a similar modernization, receiving two twin launchers from the decommissioned destroyer INS Rajput. According to the publication’s speculation, the new contract may involve the INS Prabal and the INS Pralaya, which are currently armed with 16 Kh-35E anti-ship missiles.
Due to their displacement of less than 500 metric tons and the BrahMos’s substantial dimensions, their warhead load will likely be limited to four missiles weighing about three metric tons each. This will make the ships among the smallest carriers of such weapons.
At the same time, India is already preparing to replace its aging corvettes. Earlier, Militarnyi reported that on September 18, 2026, the first new-generation NGMV missile ship was laid down at Cochin Shipyard Ltd. A total of six vessels with a displacement of about 1,500 metric tons are planned for construction, each of which will carry four BrahMos missiles.
In addition to modernizing its own fleet, New Delhi is expanding exports of this weaponry abroad. In particular, Vietnam plans to purchase Indian missile systems, as well as patrol ships and boats.
Source: Militaryni
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