India has the capability of not only deterring but also responding robustly if necessary, according to Indian Army Chief General Manoj Pande. Speaking at the BrahMos User Meet 2023, Pande explained that due to Indian’s unsettled borders, having strategic deterrence instruments was essential. He praised the BrahMos missile and said that BrahMos supersonic missile had galvanised India’s firepower. Meanwhile, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari emphasised how the missile had boosted the Indian Air Force’s deterrence value. Furthermore, it has the potential for land attacks and could be used on smaller platforms like MiG-29, Mirage 2000 or even the LCA in the future.
BrahMos is a joint venture between India and Russia, resulting in the missile acquiring its name from two rivers namely Brahmaputra and Moskva. Designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in India and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyenia, BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile system with three variants including a naval, land and air version.
Manoj Pande is a four-star general of the Indian Army and has held his position as the Chief of the Army Staff since December 2019. Pande played a vital role in the Indian Army’s planning and execution of the surgical strike in September 2016, in which Indian security forces attacked terrorist encampments in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Apart from this, he was also awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal for his distinguished service to the Indian Army.