TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — India delivered its first batch of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines on Friday (April 19) amid rising tensions over Manila's maritime disputes with Beijing.
In 2022, the Philippines signed a deal worth US$378 million to acquire three batteries of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles from India to defend its territorial waters. On Friday, an Indian Air Force C-17 Globemaster landed at Clark International Airport in Pampanga carrying the first shipment of munitions, reported Inquirer.net.
This acquisition represents the Philippine military's first shore-based anti-ship missile system. It also marks the first time India has exported attack cruise missiles to a “friendly nation” and is the country's largest single weapons export order, reported The Economic Times.
During an election rally on Friday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the deal: “Now we are also exporting BrahMos missiles. The first batch of this missile is going to the Philippines today.”
The missile system has a range of 290 km and can carry a 300-kg semi-armor piercing warhead. It was the result of a joint venture between India and Russia and its name is a combination of the Indian river the Brahmaputra and the Russian river Moskva.
During the contract signing in 2022, former Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana was cited by the Inquirer as saying “As the world’s fastest supersonic cruise missiles, the BrahMos missiles will provide deterrence against any attempt to undermine our sovereignty and sovereign rights, especially in the West Philippine Sea." The missiles, which are manufactured in India by BrahMos Aerospace can reach a speed of Mach 2.8, per The Times of India.
Discussions are underway with other potential buyers of the supersonic cruise missiles including Vietnam, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia.
