First Indian BrahMos shipments reach the Philippines
The first shipments of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles have reached the Philippines, Indian Defence Ministry stated on Friday. Under the $375 million dollar arms agreement signed by India and Philippines back in January 2022, the first among three batches of BrahMos missiles reached the nation on Friday.
Official sources stated a C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) transported the missile system and launch devices to the Philippines. Upon landing the missiles and its corresponding equipment were handed over to the country’s armed forces.
The shipment marks the first export of the BrahMos supersonic missile by India. Many other countries, like Argentina and Armenia, have also expressed their interest in acquiring Indian BrahMos to bolster their nations defences.
Former Philippines Defence Secretary, Delfin N. Lorenzana who has signed the deal had said, “As the world’s fastest supersonic cruise missiles, the BrahMos missiles will provide deterrence against any attempt to undermine our sovereignty and sovereign rights, especially in the West Philippine Sea”.
Since China’s declaration of sovereignty over the South China Sea (SCS), the country’s naval forces have continuously badgered smaller nations like the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam into forcefully recognising its claims.
SUPER EXCLUSIVE FROM PHILLIPINES:
1st photos of 1st BrahMos missile exported by India to Philippines. India’s moment has come with this historical chapter.👉 This is how 🇮🇳 defence exports are rising & 🇮🇳 might 💪growing globally.
👉 This is how India’s defence exports have… pic.twitter.com/VSCkm8CuQS
— Ashish Singh (@AshishSinghNews) April 19, 2024
Amidst recent tensions, many nations that share the SCS have expressed worries time and again about China mounting an amphibian invasion. The delivery of the first batch of missiles’ marks the beginning of India’s weapons exports in the global arms market and also the start of stronger defensive collaboration between the Philippines and India.
First BrahMos shipments marks stronger defence collaboration b/w India-Philippines
China’s aggression and demands for sovereignty over the South China Sea in recent years have sparked outrage amongst many neighbouring nations like Brunei, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Reports of Chinese naval vessels harassing maritime trade ships passing through the region have become far too common in the past year.
For smaller island nations like Taiwan and the Philippines, invasion threat by China has become a growing concern with every passing day. In terms of outright war, the armed defence forces of the Philippines do not stand a chance against technologically superior Chinese forces.
The current shipments are of the “shore brd anti-ship variant” of the BrahMos missile and are to be deployed with the coastal defence regiment of the Philippine Marine Forces.
Global experts have alleged that the possession of deployable supersonic cruise missiles by the Philippines will work as an effective deterrent against Chinese Invasion.
A report by the New Indian Express stated the personnel training of 21 members of the Philippines Marine Corps was successfully completed back in February 2023. The training conducted in Nagpur, India, aimed to familiarise the 21 Philippine Marine cadets with the maintenance and operations of the supersonic cruise missiles.
BrahMos shipment marks India’s first defence export
Dubbed as the world’s fastest supersonic cruise missile, the Brahmos missile shipment sent to the Philippines on Friday, marks India’s first defence export.
A joint venture between India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation and Russia’s NPO Mashinosroyeniya, BrahMos Aerospace company was founded on 12 February, 1998 in New Delhi. The name BrahMos is the mixture from the names of two rivers, the Brahmaputra of India and the Moskva of Russia.
As of April 2024, India holds the majority share in BrahMos Aerospace at 50.5%, while Russia owns 49.5%. Based on Russia’s “P-800 Oniks,” the BrahMos supersonic missile previously had an initial range of 290 km and travelled at a speed of Mach 2.8.
Since India’s entry into the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), many separate variants of the missile have been developed and tested including, surface-to surface, submarine launched and air-launched. Missiles with extended range of 350 kms have been successfully tested in early 2022.
Russia and India have announced plans to further extend the range of the supersonic missile to 450 kms-600 kms and beyond. The shipments sent to the Philippines are of anti-ship variants and travel at a speed of Mach 2.8.
https://t.co/MEOkg2lsw3
Range of #brahmos in the #Phillipines https://t.co/RWdxHbhfaA pic.twitter.com/1HvJndeH4t— Vas Shenoy (@VasShenoy) April 19, 2024
The additional “fire-and-forget” system ensures that the missile cannot be intercepted by some modern naval air defence systems currently used by the Chinese Navy. The export of such a sophisticated weapons systems underscores India’s pivotal role in providing defensive hardware to the countries at risk by China’s aggression at south China sea and the potential of India’s global arms exports.
