Philippines approves purchase of India’s BrahMos anti-ship missile system

Asia-Pacific, News January 15, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

The Philippines Department of National Defense approved the purchase of the BrahMos anti-ship missile system from India.

The Philippines Ministry of Defense awarded India’s BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd a $374.9 million worth proposal to supply the Shore-Based Anti-Ship Missile System Acquisition Project for the navy.

The Notice of Award was delivered to BrahMos Aerospace official Col. Rajendra Negi (Rtd) by the Philippines Department of National Defense.

Philippines Defense Secretary, Delfin Lorenzana said in a statement: “Negotiated with the Government of India, it includes the delivery of three batteries, training for operators and maintainers as well as the necessary Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) package […] Coastal Defense Regiment of the Philippine Marines will be the primary employer of this modern strategic defense capability of the AFP”.

In March 2021, India and the Philippines signed an agreement on defense equipment procurement, which paved the way for the sale of the BrahMos missile system to the Philippines.

*^{India’s BrahMos supersonic cruise missile. (Image Credit: ANI via the print)}*

BrahMos is based on the Russian P-800 Oniks cruise missile, and it is a joint venture between the Russian NPO Mashinostroyeniya and India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

BrahMos is Indian warship’s main missile system and has been deployed on most of the Indian navy’s surface platforms. The Missile has a range of about 290 kilometers (180 miles) and it can reach the speed of Mach 2.8, almost three times the speed of sound.

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Earlier on January 11, the Indian Navy and DRDO test-fired a sea variant of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from an indigenously developed Visakhapatnam-class destroyer.

At present, India is also working on an underwater variant of the missile, which will be used by the Indian Navy’s submarines and is expected to be offered for export to India’s defense partners.