BrahMos missile to use aluminium alloy developed by DRDO to make its various critical parts

In a significant step towards Make in India initiative, the BrahMos missile team has used five different grades of specialty aluminium alloy developed in India to construct various critical parts of the world's first and only supersonic cruise missile.

They have used five different grades of wrought aluminium alloys in eight semi-product forms, which are developed in nine different heat treatment conditions. The state-own Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) locally developed the alloy that was earlier imported from Russia.

The move is also significant towards the development and capacity enhancement of the BhraMos missile, since the use of locally developed alloy in the construction of the fuel tank and airframe of the missile will save substantial costs for the manufacturers.

"The series production of aluminium alloy intensive F3 section, i.e., the major load bearing section of the BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile, using indigenous materials has begun at a fabrication plant in Mumbai. The indigenous production of aluminium alloys has resulted in substantial cost savings," confirmed a DRDO official.

"A majority of these different grades of alloys are located in the F3 section, which comprises fuel tanks and airframe," he added.

The indigenous aluminium alloy was developed by the Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL) in collaboration with BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited (BAPL), Hyderabad. The Russian team of NPOM, a JV partner for BrahMos, has approved the production processes and the quality control procedures of the alloy.

The Indo-Russia collaboration would manufacture is the world's first and only supersonic cruise missile that will be used as a precision strike weapon by the Indian armed forces.