India delivered the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines on Friday, as part of the USD 375 million deal between the two sides signed in 2022.
India Delivers Brahmos Supersonic Cruise Missiles To Philippines
India delivered the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines on Friday, as part of the USD 375 million deal between the two sides signed in 2022. The Indian Air Force sent its American origin C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft with the missiles to the Philippines to deliver the weapon system to the Philippines’ Marine Corps, according to the defence sources.
The Philippines is taking delivery of the missile systems at a time when tensions between them and China have escalated owing to frequent clashes in the South China Sea. The three batteries of the BrahMos missile system would be deployed by the Philippines in their coastal areas to guard against any threat in the region.
The deal for a shore-based variant of an anti-ship cruise missile marked India’s first major export order. The missile has a range of around 290 km.
BrahMos Aerospace is a joint venture between Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya.
The supersonic cruise missile has been operationalised in all three wings of the Indian armed forces.
BrahMos NG is a next-generation smaller, lighter version of the weapon system which can be deployed on a range of military platforms. The trials for it were scheduled to be held in the first half of 2024.
Work has been underway to upgrade the range of the existing BrahMos missiles from 290 km to 500 km for land attacks and 400 km for ship attacks. Electronic counter-counter measures are also part of the other upgrades being carried out.
Last month, the Ministry of Defence signed contracts with BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited to procure BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles and procurement of ship-borne BrahMos systems at a cost of Rs 19,518.65 crore and Rs 988.07 crore respectively.
