Philippines Confirms Purchase of BrahMos Supersonic Missile System

The long-expected acquisition marks the latest evolution of Southeast Asia’s naval arms competition.

The Philippines has officially become the first foreign nation to acquire the potent Indian-Russian BrahMos supersonic anti-ship missile, strengthening its navy’s ability to safeguard its sovereign claims in the South China Sea.

Today the Philippines Ministry of Defense announced that it had issued a notice of award on December 31 to BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd, accepting its proposal to supply the shore-based anti-ship missile system for the price of $374 million.

The notice of award was issued shortly after the Philippines’ budget department released initial funding for the armed forces’ “planned acquisition of shore-based anti-ship missile system and combat utility helicopters,” which was reported by the Philippine media earlier this month.

The Philippines has long expressed interest in purchasing the BrahMos weapons system, developed by BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture between India and Russia that was set up in India in 1998. But Manila was forced to put its plans on hold after the COVID-19 pandemic cut deeply into its national budget.

The BrahMos is the world’s fastest supersonic cruise missile. It can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft, or land platforms, and flies at nearly three times the speed of sound, making it nearly impossible for targets to evade.

Click here to read the full article at The Diplomat.

Sebastian Strangio