India Ships Second BrahMos Battery to Philippines

April 23,2025

By:Our Bureau

India has dispatched the second battery of its BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system to the Philippines, marking continued progress in its first major overseas defence export deal.

According to a defence source cited by The New Indian Express, the second battery was shipped by sea, contrasting with the first battery, which was delivered in April 2024 aboard an Indian Air Force aircraft with assistance from civilian aviation partners. The earlier delivery involved a non-stop six-hour flight to western Philippines.

The BrahMos missile, developed jointly by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyenia, is a supersonic land-attack and anti-ship missile capable of speeds up to Mach 2.8 and ranges of 290 km. The system includes autonomous mobile launchers, fire control radars, command and control centres, and logistics support vehicles, optimised for tropical operational environments such as the Philippines.

The Philippines signed a $374.96 million contract in January 2022 with BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited for three batteries of the shore-based anti-ship missile system (SBASMS), making it India’s first major defence export. Operator training for 21 Philippine Navy personnel was conducted in India in February 2023, focusing on both system operation and maintenance.

India has positioned the BrahMos programme as a flagship of its “Make in India” defence manufacturing initiative. Efforts to increase indigenous content have brought the missile’s local components to 83%. The government continues to pursue additional export opportunities, with interest reported from Indonesia, Thailand, and other countries. In January 2025, Indonesia’s defence ministry reportedly communicated with the Indian embassy in Jakarta regarding a potential $450 million BrahMos procurement.

For the Philippines, which faces ongoing maritime security challenges in the South China Sea, the acquisition enhances its ability to defend key naval assets, choke points, and maritime infrastructure within its Exclusive Economic Zone. The missile’s low-altitude terminal flight profile increases its survivability against modern air defence systems, offering Manila a credible precision-strike capability in response to evolving regional threats.

Source:

https://gbp.com.sg/stories/india-ships-second-brahmos-battery-to-philippines/