RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – A delegation from India’s Ministry of Defense and representatives from public and private companies are visiting Brazil this week to explore opportunities in the sector.
The delegation, led by Sanjay Jaju, Additional Secretary, Department of Defence Production, is scheduled to visit Brazilian military installations and defense companies in Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia, and inland São Paulo state.
The Indian delegation is expected to meet with the commanders of the three armed forces and other senior Brazilian government officials, where Indian companies will showcase their capabilities, products, and services.
In São Paulo, the Indian companies will visit São José dos Campos, where Brazil’s most prominent defense companies are headquartered, and the São José dos Campos Technology Park, where Indian companies can showcase their portfolio and network with their Brazilian counterparts.
The visitors will also visit Embraer Group’s production facilities in São José dos Campos and Gavião Peixoto. According to Indian trade publications, products, services, and capabilities will be offered on land, sea, and air.
India’s defense and security industry will offer surface-to-surface missiles, rocket launchers, armored missile launchers, ballistic vests and helmets, scopes, night vision equipment, and light attack helicopters for the Army.
For the Navy, the list includes submarines and cyber defense capabilities, pursuit, reconnaissance, and surveillance aircraft, amphibious assault ships, and amphibious assault ships.
For the Air Force, India’s offering includes AWACS aircraft and light combat jets, all part of the government’s “Make in India” policy that facilitates the export of defense platforms and weapons to friendly countries.
Indian companies already confirmed in the entourage include Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited, Bharat Dynamics Limited, Bharat Electronics Limited, Dhruva Aerospace, GRSE, Maharashtra Minerals Corporation Limited, Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders, and others yet to be officially announced.
The Indian visit to Brazil comes at a time when the country’s defense industry has achieved significant successes, such as the recently signed agreement with the Philippines for the sale of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, a contract worth about US$334 million awarded to BrahMos Aerospace Private Ltd. on Dec. 31.
For the first time, India had successfully test-fired the extended-range version of the BrahMos missile from the Su-30 MKI aircraft, thus allowing the country’s armed forces to carry out long-range high-precision strikes Indian Defense Ministry says.
In the naval sector, the INS Vikrant will enter service next August. It is the first Indian-made aircraft carrier capable of carrying up to 50 aircraft and helicopters and is designed to contain China’s expansion into the Indian Ocean and its maritime trade routes. India’s capabilities in manufacturing such vessels will be introduced to the Brazilian Navy.
Another weapon the Indians plan to showcase in Brazil is the first Indian-developed and produced visual contact air-to-air (BVR) missile, the Astra, an active radar missile capable of engaging targets at various altitudes with ranges (range) between 10 km (short) and 110 km (long).
The missile is integrated into the Sukhoi Su-30MKI, Dassault Mirage 2000, HAL Tejas, and Mikoyan MiG-29 fighter aircraft.
With information from infodefensa