India Delivers BrahMos Missile to Philippines: Strengthening Defense Ties

Today (April 19), the Indian Air Force has delivered the first batch of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines. The Philippines becomes the first foreign country to receive BrahMos missiles. India had signed a deal worth Rs 2,966 crore with the Philippines for the sale of BrahMos missiles in January 2022.

These missiles, delivered by the Indian Air Force, will be handed over to the Philippine Marine Corps. The BrahMos missile has a speed of 2.8 Mach and a range of 290 km. According to media reports and sources, the Philippines plans to deploy these missiles in the South China Sea.

India is providing the Philippines with three BrahMos supersonic missile systems. Each system includes two missile launchers, a radar, and a command and control center. With these systems, submarines, ships, and aircraft can launch two BrahMos missiles within 10 seconds. Besides the delivery of missiles, India will also provide training to the Philippines for operating the missiles.

According to the Ministry of Defence, India has exported a variety of defense equipment to several countries, including Dornier-228 aircraft, 155 mm Advanced Towed Artillery Guns, Akash missile systems, radars, simulators, armored vehicles, Pinaka rockets, and thermal imagers.

BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft, or land. Its name is derived from the names of India’s Brahmaputra River and Russia’s Moskva River. BrahMos is based on the technology of Russia’s P-800 Oniks cruise missile. This missile is entrusted to all three branches of the Indian military: the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

BrahMos exists in multiple versions, including land-launched, ship-launched, submarine-launched, and air-launched variants, all of which have undergone testing. When fired from land or sea, the BrahMos Block II (with a speed of 2,500 km/h) can destroy targets within a range of 290 kilometers at supersonic speeds. The missile can be launched from submarines at depths of 40-50 meters underwater. Submarine-launched testing of the BrahMos was conducted in 2013.

Argentina, along with Vietnam, has also shown interest in acquiring the BrahMos missile system. Atul Dinakar Rao, Director General of BrahMos Aerospace, stated in June 2023 that 12 countries, including Argentina and Vietnam, have expressed interest in purchasing the BrahMos missile system. Demand from foreign countries demonstrates the high credibility of this missile system.