If things go according to plan, the Philippines could acquire its first ever BrahMos missile system from India by the end of the year as the Department of National Defense (DND) said on Wednesday, August 23, that it obtained a commitment for the timely delivery of the fastest supersonic missile in the world. 

The commitment was made by Indian Ambassador to the Philippines Shambhu Santha Kumaran when he paid a courtesy visit on DND Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City last week. 

Teodoro and Kumaran discussed the importance of deepening collaboration among defense industries of both countries as the Philippines is currently in the phase of developing a credible defense posture.

“Ambassador Kumaran welcomed the initiative and further conveyed India's willingness to support, through line of funding or credits, the development of the Philippine's defense infrastructure, including extensive maintenance support for various projects and transfer of technology,” DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said.

“Ambassador Kumaran also reassured the timely delivery of the Shore-Based Anti-Ship Missile (SBASM) System,” he added. The delivery of the BrahMos missile system is expected to take place in December.

In January 2022, the DND signed the contract for the procurement of the BrahMos missile system from BrahMos Aerospace Private Ltd. as part of the SBASM Acquisition Project of the Philippine Navy worth $374,962,800 or around P18.9 billion.

The acquisition was conceptualized as early as 2017 and approved as part of the priority projects under the second horizon of the revised modernization program of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). 

The DND had said that the BrahMos missile system will be used by the Coastal Defense Regiment of the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) to improve the country’s coastal defense capabilities particularly in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

The project includes the delivery of three missile batteries, necessary Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) package, and training for its operators and maintainers. A single missile battery usually consists of three mobile autonomous launchers with two or three missile tubes each along with its tracking systems.

Last February, a total of 21 PMC personnel completed a training in India on how to operate the BrahMos missile system. They will become the first operators of the BrahMos missile system outside of India.

The acquisition of the BrahMos missiles is deemed crucial by the DND to boost the Navy’s capability to defend the country’s maritime borders and complement the efforts of its surface assets during patrol operations.

According to manufacturer BrahMos Aerospace Private Ltd., the BrahMos missile has a flight range of up to 290 kilometers with supersonic speed all through the flight which leads to a shorter flight time and ensures a lower dispersion of its target, a quicker engagement time, and a capability that cannot be intercepted “by any known weapon system in the world.”