India Delivers BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missiles to Philippines

In a significant military export, India delivered the first batch of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines on Friday. This follows a $375 million deal signed between the two nations in 2022 for the potent weapon system.

According to defense sources, an Indian Air Force C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft ferried the missiles from India to the Philippines, where they will be inducted into the Philippine Marine Corps' inventory.

The shipment marks the beginning of exports for the ground-based version of the BrahMos system, with missile deliveries having commenced last month itself.

For the Philippines, the acquisition of the BrahMos missiles comes at a crucial juncture amid escalating tensions with China over territorial disputes in the South China Sea region. The Philippines plans to deploy three BrahMos missile batteries along its coastal areas to bolster deterrence and defense capabilities.

The deal has received necessary approvals from partner nations involved in the BrahMos program, a joint venture between India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia's NPO Mashinostroyeniya.

Regarded as one of the world's most formidable and fastest precision-guided missiles, the BrahMos has played a pivotal role in enhancing India's deterrence capabilities since its induction into the Indian Army in 2007.