India has successfully supplied the first lot of BRAHMOS supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines on April 19.
The missiles were carried by a C-17 Globemaster aircraft of the Indian Air Force that landed in the Philippines.
This delivery is part of a $375-million deal signed in January 2022, under which India will supply three batteries of the shore-based, anti-ship variant of the BrahMos missile system.
The Philippines is the first export customer for the BrahMos, a joint venture between India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya.
The BrahMos missiles will enhance the defensive capabilities of the Philippine Marine Corps’ Coastal Defense Regiment under the Horizon 2 of the Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program. The system includes launchers, support equipment, and training for personnel.
In early 2023, 21 Philippine Navy personnel were trained in operations and maintenance of the system in Nagpur, India, and received interim missile badges from Indian Navy Chief Admiral R. Hari Kumar.
Former Philippines Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, who signed the deal, noted strategic importance the system carries for the state, adding: “The BrahMos missiles, world’s fastest supersonic cruise missiles, would deter them from making attempts to trample on our sovereignty and sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea.
India’s ties with Southeast Asian nations
This shipment has been received as the Philippines and China have their tensions high on territorial issues in the South China Sea. India has reaffirmed its commitment to a rules-based international order and peaceful resolution of disputes in the Indo-Pacific region, reaffirming that all such disputes be resolved in accordance with the UNCLOS.
The Philippines has gained India’s support for the UN’s Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling that it rejected China’s sweeping claims over the South China Sea, which Beijing has not accepted.
India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, while visiting the Philippines in March, reaffirmed India’s commitment to strengthening bilateral defence ties and upholding peace and security in the region.
About the BrahMos Missile
The BrahMos missile, named after the rivers of Brahmaputra and Moskva, has flexibility and speed that allow it to be launched from land, sea, air, and sub-sea platforms. It has a velocity of 2.8 Mach, close to three times the velocity of sound, and initially, the Missile Technology Control Regime had capped its range at 290 km. Since its entry into the regime in 2016, India has made an extension of the range up to 450 km with plans to increase.
In fact, several nations including Indonesia, Thailand and Argentina have expressed interest to buy the missile system in evidence of growing demand around the world.
India’s move to supply the BrahMos system is a reflection of its commitment to strengthening military cooperation with the Philippines and other allies in Southeast Asia amid China’s growing military aggressiveness. India has also decided to post a defense attaché in the Philippines to further strengthen bilateral defense collaboration.
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