Operation Sindoor: Rajnath Singh launches BrahMos facility, did CM Yogi Adityanath confirm use?

Operation Sindoor, India-Pakistan tensions: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has virtually launched the BrahMos Aerospace Integration and Testing Facility in Lucknow today (May 11).

Speaking at the event, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath hinted that the BrahMos missiles were used in Indian defence operations against Pakistan this week, according to a PTI report.

“What is the BrahMos missile? You have seen a glimpse of the valour of the BrahMos missile during Operation Sindoor. And if the glimpse was not visible, then ask Pakistanis about the strength of the missile,” he stated.

Operation Sindoor: BrahMos Makes Debut

Notably, the use of the BrahMos missile marks its first entry in actual combat. This comes amid the ongoing conflicit between India and Pakistan, and after India's strategic strikes on terrorists camps inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK), due to the terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 civilian lives.

Speaking virtually, the defence minister praised the Indian military's courage and and said that Operation Sindoor was a political, social and strategic symbol.

“The Indian military displayed courage and restraint and has given a befitting reply to Pakistan by attacking many of its military bases. Operation Sindoor was not just a military action, but a symbol of India's political, social and strategic will to fight terrorism. It was a demonstration of India's strong will against terrorism,” he said on the operation.

BrahMos Facility in Lucknow: All you need to know

• Rajnath Singh laid the foundation stone for the the Defence Technology & Test Centre and BRAHMOS Manufacturing Centre, established by the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, on December 26, 2021, according to an ANI report.
• As per the official release, the DTTC's first-of-its-kind facility is spread over some 22 acres, and will enhance the defence and aerospace manufacturing clusters in Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor (UP DIC).
• According to the Ministry of Defence, the facility has been built at a cost of rs 300 crore, and is a “key part of the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor”, it added that the facility “represents India’s commitment to self-reliant defence manufacturing”.

• In a post on X, the ministry said the facility is a major leap towards Aatmanirbhar Bharat and “includes not only missile production but also testing, integration, and a materials complex for aerospace-grade components”.
• The modern, state-of-the-art facility will produce the new BRAHMOS-NG (Next Generation) variant, which carries forward the lineage of the BRAHMOS weapons system.
• It is also envisioned as a bridge for industries and startups to grasp the DRDO's IPRs, Patents and ToTs; and promote the growth of industries and startups in UPDIC and ease of doing business.

Operation Sindoor: Was BrahMos used for strikes against Pakistan? Yogi Adityanath confirms…

According to an Indian Express report earlier in the day, the Indian defences forces used the BrahMos precision guidance system to target Pakistani terrorists camps and military bases. Later during the facility launch, CM Adityanath confirmed these reports. The use of the BrahMos missile marks its first entry in actual combat, it added.

Bases at Rafiqui (Shorkot, Jhang), Murid (Chakwal), Nur Khan (Chaklala, Rawalpindi) Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, Chunian (Kasur), Skardu, Bholari, Jacobabad, Sargodha, Pasrur and Sialkot were targetted using precision munitions, it added. 

The report added that air-to-surface precision-guided munition HAMMER (Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range), the air-launched cruise missile called SCALP, and the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles were likely used in the attacks. 

(With inputs from Agencies)