Nagpur: In yet another major step towards indigenization of BrahMos missiles, defence PSU Munition India Limited (MIL) is ready with the facility to make warheads for the missile. This comes soon after BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited (BAPL) received the first ever indigenous boosters from Nagpur’s Solar Group earlier this week reports Shishir Arya of  TOI.

Both warhead and booster are major components of the missile. The booster gives initial speed to a missile and the warhead hits the target. A missile has three main components, which are warhead, sustainer engine, and booster. Like the boosters, the warheads too were so far procured from abroad. With the facility ready, indigenous production can begin.

Sources said the plant for filling the warhead of BrahMos missiles has been made in collaboration with BAPL and Ordnance Factory Khamaria in Madhya Pradesh. Work on the plant, which began a year ago, has been completed and it is now ready for operations. MIL is waiting to get the production schedule. The plant at Khamaria would come up as a permanent source for indigenous filling of warheads, said sources. The factory would be going ahead with trials with some of the samples given by BAPL, after which full-fledged production may begin, said sources.

MIL was formed as a public sector undertaking out of the earlier ordnance factories a year ago. It has it headquarters at Pune with factories in Bhandara, Chandrapur and Khamaria also coming under it. Though Khamaria was even earlier engaged in filling of missiles, because of certain specification for materials to be used for BrahMos, a new facility had to be erected, said a source.

MIL was formed along with seven other DPSUs on October 2, 2021. In a year, the company is sitting on orders worth Rs 22,800 crore to be implemented over a period of four years. Out of this, exports account for Rs 1,500 crore, said sources. The exports include a range of higher calibre shells as well as small arms ammunition.