India has moved ahead with a ₹661.5 crore contract for BrahMos Fire Control Systems and launchers that will support the upgrade of four Indian Navy warships, comprising two Ranvir-class destroyers and two Veer-class corvettes.

The agreement, signed with BrahMos Aerospace, carries an indigenous content level exceeding 68% and is intended to further strengthen the Navy’s maritime strike capabilities while supporting domestic defence manufacturing.

The contract specifically covers the supply of BrahMos launchers and associated fire-control systems rather than the missiles themselves. These systems are essential for integrating and operating the BrahMos weapon system aboard existing naval platforms.

Particular attention has focused on the two Ranvir-class destroyers included in the programme. These ships belong to the Soviet-origin Project 61ME family, derived from the Kashin-class destroyer design and built in Mykolaiv, in what was then the Soviet Union. Of the original vessels acquired by India, three remain in service today: INS Rana, INS Ranvir and INS Ranvijay.

Available information strongly suggests that INS Ranvir and INS Ranvijay are the most likely recipients of the new BrahMos launcher upgrades. Both ships already operate an eight-cell BrahMos Vertical Launch System positioned aft and remain among the earliest Indian Navy warships to have received the supersonic missile.

Importantly, both destroyers continue to retain four inclined launchers for the ageing P-15 Termit, also known as the Styx anti-ship missile, located forward on the vessel.

This has led to speculation that the old Styx launchers could eventually be removed and replaced by additional BrahMos launchers. If such an approach is adopted, the overall missile load could potentially increase from the existing eight BrahMos missiles carried in the vertical launch system to a total of 16 missiles.

However, it is important to distinguish confirmed information from informed assessment.

The Ministry of Defence has confirmed only that the contract covers two Ranvir-class destroyers and two Veer-class corvettes. It has not publicly disclosed the precise launcher configuration, the number of launchers to be fitted, or the final weapons arrangement that will result from the upgrade.

The assumption of a future 16-missile BrahMos broadside stems largely from the configuration previously seen on the retired INS Rajput. That vessel was equipped with four twin inclined BrahMos launchers capable of housing eight missiles. When combined with an already-installed eight-cell vertical launch system, a similar arrangement on Ranvir-class ships would theoretically result in a 16-missile salvo.

Even so, this remains a projection rather than an officially confirmed outcome.

Another factor supporting the assumption that INS Ranvir and INS Ranvijay are the ships covered by the contract is the status of INS Rana. Over recent years, INS Rana has been used as a test platform for the DRDO-developed Vertical Launch Short Range Surface-to-Air Missile system and received related modifications. Its Styx launchers were previously removed, and the ship now serves a specialised role as a missile-development testbed.

As a result, analysts consider it highly probable that the two destroyers named in the contract are INS Ranvir and INS Ranvijay rather than INS Rana.

What remains unconfirmed is the suggestion that the Styx launchers on Ranvir and Ranvijay have already been removed. Available reporting indicates that both vessels still retain their four inclined P-15 launchers. The documented removal of such launchers in recent years applies to INS Rana and not to the two destroyers widely expected to receive the BrahMos upgrades.

The broader significance of the contract lies in the Indian Navy’s continuing effort to extend the combat relevance of legacy vessels. BrahMos remains the Navy’s principal surface-to-surface strike missile, capable of engaging both maritime and land targets at extended ranges while travelling at supersonic speed.

The modernisation of older destroyers and corvettes allows these platforms to remain effective contributors to fleet operations even as newer Kolkata-class and Visakhapatnam-class destroyers enter service.

At present, therefore, the confirmed story is that India has contracted for BrahMos launchers and fire-control systems for two Ranvir-class destroyers and two Veer-class corvettes. The possibility of creating a 16-missile BrahMos salvo on Ranvir-class destroyers remains a logical and technically plausible outcome, but it should still be regarded as an informed assessment rather than an officially announced configuration.

Agencies