New Delhi, April 28 (H.S.): India handed over the second batch of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile systems to the Philippines on Monday. With this, the contract signed between India and the Philippines in 2022, valued at over 374 million dollars, has been completed, marking the largest and first foreign deal. The powerful C-17 Globemaster of the Indian Air Force took off with the missile batch from Hindon Air Force Station and has now landed at the Clark Air Base of the Philippines Air Force.
BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited (BAPL) had signed a formal contract with the National Defense Department of the Republic of the Philippines for three missiles on January 28, 2022. This deal, worth over 374 million dollars, was the largest and first foreign purchase of supersonic missiles from India. The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was developed by a joint venture between India (DRDO) and Russia (NPO Mashinostroyeniya). Discussions between India and the Philippines on the BrahMos missile deal had been ongoing for years. Both countries signed a major defense agreement on March 3, 2020.
Last year, on April 19, India delivered the first batch of the world’s fastest cruise missile, BrahMos, to the Philippines in the form of a battery. This BrahMos missile has a range of 290 km (180 miles) and can be launched from land, sea, and submarines. The delivery of the second batch comes at a time when diplomatic and security relations between Manila and Beijing are tense due to ongoing skirmishes in the South China Sea. Philippine Secretary of Defense Gilbert Teodoro stated that the missiles purchased from India are part of the modernization program of the Philippine military, which will strengthen the country’s coastal defense capabilities amid rising tensions with China.
After completing the missile deal with India, the Philippines is focusing on modernizing its military to face regional disputes with China in the South China Sea, as well as security challenges. The Philippines is now purchasing a batch of advanced light helicopters from India to enhance its combat capabilities. The indigenously developed Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) is a twin-engine, multi-role, multi-mission, new-generation helicopter in the 5.5-ton weight class and is considered an effective platform for various military operations.
The Philippines is a major strategic partner of India in the Southeast Asian region. In recent years, especially in the maritime sector, there has been a surge in bilateral defense and security relations. The Philippines is also a key member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with which India’s relations have significantly expanded over the past decade. The Philippines has also expressed interest in purchasing the Akash air defense missile system from India. Amid efforts to enhance the export of indigenous military hardware, the Akash air defense missile system has taken India to new heights in the aerospace world.
Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
