Philippines in talks to buy another $800 million of BrahMos missiles from India
India is holding final-stage bilateral talks to expand sales of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile to the Philippines. Citing three sources directly involved in the matter, the Reuters news agency reported that under the proposed new deal, the Philippines could be supplied with about five BrahMos missile systems.
According to Reuters, the deal would include about 60 missiles in total and its possible financial value could be around $700 million to $800 million.
The move towards this new large military purchase comes after deliveries for the Philippine Navy under the first $375 million deal, signed in 2022, reached their final stage.
Manila is modernising its armed forces and strengthening its coastal defences against the backdrop of several clashes and rising tensions with China in recent years in the disputed waters of the South China Sea.
Philippine defence ministry spokesperson Arsenio Andolong confirmed to Reuters that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has directly expressed interest in acquiring additional BrahMos missiles.
Joining the 'Delhi Defence Dialogue' virtually last Wednesday, Philippine defence minister Gilberto Teodoro said a specific list of requirements had been sent to the Indian authorities to make the system more suitable to the Philippines' geographical environment and defence needs. He also said his country expects to acquire additional BrahMos units soon.
The BrahMos supersonic missile, built jointly by India and Russia, is considered one of the fastest cruise missiles in the world. It can be launched from land, sea and air alike.
India used the missile in real combat for the first time during last year's four-day brief military conflict between India and Pakistan. Since then, interest from various countries in the BrahMos system has grown in the international arms market.
However, there was no immediate official comment on the ongoing new deal from India's defence ministry, foreign ministry or the manufacturer, BrahMos Aerospace.
Beyond the Philippines, India is rapidly expanding the BrahMos market in Southeast Asia and other regions. In July, Delhi announced BrahMos supplies to Indonesia and also completed a deal with Vietnam. Talks are also under way with countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Thailand, South Africa and Brazil.
According to official government statistics, India's total defence exports in the financial year ending this March stood at 384.24 billion rupees, or $4.11 billion — growth of more than 62 percent over the previous financial year.
