BrahMos Philippines deal nears final stage, sources say

A BrahMos Philippines deal worth up to $800 million has reached final-stage talks, three sources with knowledge of the matter said.

New Delhi aims to enlarge its supersonic cruise missile exports to Manila. New Delhi is close to finishing deliveries under a 2022 contract.

Size of the BrahMos Philippines deal

According to two of the Indian sources, the Philippines should purchase around five BrahMos systems, close to 60 missiles in total. They put the value at $700 million to $800 million.

That is far above the last order of $375 million, which covered missiles for naval use. One Indian source said, “Manila has shown interest again to procure about 5 systems of the BrahMos,” and the order would nearly double the earlier one.

The source added that Manila now sees India as a very reliable partner. India and Russia developed the missile together. It is one of the world’s fastest cruise missiles, and forces can launch it from land, sea or air.

Why the BrahMos Philippines deal matters

The Philippines is upgrading its armed forces and its coastal defences. Tension with Beijing is rising over overlapping claims in the South China Sea, and the two countries have clashed there in recent years.

Arsenio Andolong, the Philippine defence ministry spokesperson, said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr had voiced a wish to acquire more BrahMos missiles. He gave no further detail.

Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro spoke virtually at the Delhi Defence Dialogue on Wednesday. He said Manila hoped to secure more units. He also said it sent Indian authorities a wish list to adapt the system to local conditions.

India’s wider BrahMos exports

Demand for the missile has risen since India fought Pakistan for four days last year. India used the weapon in battle for the first time then.

In July, Delhi announced it would supply BrahMos missiles to Indonesia, and it has signed a deal with Vietnam. It is also in talks with the UAE, Thailand, South Africa and Brazil, among others.

Defence exports are growing fast. For the fiscal year to March, they reached 384.24 billion rupees, which is $4.11 billion. Government data showed a rise of more than 62 percent on the year before.

What officials have said

India’s defence and foreign ministries did not answer requests for comment. Neither did BrahMos Aerospace, the maker of the missile.

As a result, no government has publicly commented on the BrahMos Philippines deal. Reporters were the first to publish its size and value, so the figures could still change as talks finish.

For now, the BrahMos Philippines deal points to growing demand for Indian missiles abroad. Also, the BrahMos Philippines deal would make Manila one of the system’s most important foreign buyers.

Together with the Indonesia and Vietnam contracts, a Philippine order would extend India’s reach among buyers around the South China Sea. Nobody has said when the sides will sign a contract. Defence analysts will watch whether the final contract matches the five-system figure that sources describe.