Brahmos has absolutely unlimited potential for upgradation: Top Russian diplomat Roman Babushkin

Russian Embassy's deputy chief of mission Roman Babushkin, talking about India-Russia defence cooperation, has said that Brahmos missiles have an "absolutely unlimited potential for upgradation". BrahMos, a supersonic cruise missile, is a product of an India-Russia joint venture, combining Indian DRDO and Russian NPOM expertise. BrahMos was conceived in the mid-1990s amid India's push for advanced cruise missile capabilities.

The top Russian diplomat said that this upgrade in "terms of its tactical parameters" & "certainly one of the best examples of advanced and trusted defence cooperation between any 2 countries that can happen". Brahmos was used by India to thwart Pakistan's attack, after Rawalpindi launched an attack on India, post the counter-terror operation, Operation Sindoor. It has been exported as well, to the Philippines, with a $375M deal with more countries keen to buy.

Asked about more future defence cooperation, Babushkin said, "We have a very advanced dialogue with India on all types of defence cooperation which is available right now...sharing right now with India, based on our modern war experience". He added, "We really, as the only country in the world, can offer to India sophisticated weapons like 5th generation fighter jets, common joint production of its components and licensed production".

Both India, Russia are currently working on the upcoming visit of Russian President Putin to India in the month of December. Describing the upcoming visit as a landmark, the Russian diplomat pointed out that this year, both countries are celebrating 15 years of Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership. He was hopeful about labour market mobility between the 2 countries, as in "Russia, we need a labour force, people to work in Russian industry, India has an excessive labour force" and this makes a "perfect sense of mutual complementarians, which can play very well".

On the presence of Indians in the Russian army, he said, "This is a problem of great mutual concern. From the very beginning, we kept saying the Russian army doesn't need Indians to fight. We have never recruited intentionally." As per the latest Indian data, 27 Indian nationals are presently serving in the Russian army, and the Indian government has strongly urged all Indian nationals to stay away from the offers being made to serve in the Russian army, as they are fraught with danger and risk to life. DCM Babushkin pointed to a mechanism of coordination by the Indian embassy in Moscow and the Russian defence ministry to resolve such matters.