Why can't India sell BrahMos missiles to any other country?

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday confirmed that BrahMos missiles were used to destroy Pakistani air bases in the aftermath of India's Operation Sindoor. Reports suggest that 15 BrahMos missiles were launched in precision attacks that targeted critical infrastructure across 11 of 12 key Pakistani Air Force bases. Indian armed forces launched Operation Sindoor in response to the Pahalgam terrorist attack in which 26 people were killed. BrahMos is reportedly India’s fastest supersonic cruise missile system.

"As our indigenously developed BrahMos (supersonic cruise missile system) worked to destroy Pakistan's air bases, its air defence system, borrowed from China, remained unused. Our Air Force carried out precise attacks and inflicted heavy damage on many places in Pakistan, which were considered impregnable. Operation Sindoor will be written in golden letters when the history is written on the border safety," PTI quoted Shah as saying.

What is BrahMos?

It is a two-stage missile with a solid propellant booster engine as its first stage, which brings it to supersonic speed and then gets separated. The liquid ramjet or the second stage then takes the missile closer to 3 Mach speed in the cruise phase. The missile has a flight range of up to 290 km with supersonic speed all through the flight, leading to shorter flight time.  It carries a conventional warhead weighing 200 to 300 kg.

Why can't India sell BrahMos to any other country?

The BrahMos missile system was developed through collaboration between India and Russia. Both nations have a 50-50 stake in the missile’s technology. This is why it cannot be sold to any other nation without the approval of Russia. The BrahMos Aerospace oversees the missile’s production.

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BrahMos Key Features

Its first test was conducted on June 12, 2001. Even in 2025, it remains the fastest cruise missile in India’s arsenal. This missile can travel at speeds up to Mach 3 (three times the speed of sound) and typically has a range of 290 km. However, some advanced editions are reported to have a range of 500 to 800 km.

Key Features

• Fire-and-forget system
• Excellent radar-evading capabilities
• Can carry high-explosive warheads weighing 200–300 kg
• Capable of flying at low altitudes to evade enemy radar systems
• Can be launched from air, sea, land, and submarines

On May 12, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh virtually inaugurated the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile production unit at the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor in Lucknow. The facility is designed to manufacture 80 to 100 missiles annually.