The Philippines’ Ambassador to India described the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile as a “credible deterrence” in the South China Sea on Tuesday, saying the Indian-made weapon has strengthened Manila’s defence posture amid rising tensions in disputed waters.
Ambassador Josel Francisco Ignacio said the acquisition of the BrahMos marked a major milestone in India-Philippines defence cooperation, and that New Delhi’s rapidly expanding indigenous defence industry has made it a preferred supplier for Manila’s modernisation plans.
The Philippines became the first overseas customer of the India-Russia-developed BrahMos system after signing a $375 million contract in January 2022 for three batteries of the shore-based anti-ship variant. India delivered the first batch of missiles in 2024.
Explaining the strategic value, Ignacio said the BrahMos provides the Philippines with a credible deterrent through its speed and range, while giving the country an anti-access and area denial capability that increases the cost for any potential aggressor and alters operational calculations.
The BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile jointly developed by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya under BrahMos Aerospace. The system is capable of flying at speeds of Mach 2.8 to 3.0, nearly three times the speed of sound, making it one of the fastest operational cruise missiles globally.
Export variants carry a range of up to 290 km, while Indian domestic versions can strike targets exceeding 450 km. The missile carries a conventional warhead weighing 200 to 300 kg and employs a sea-skimming flight profile that makes it difficult for enemy radar and air defence systems to detect and intercept.
The Philippines deal represents a watershed moment in India’s defence export strategy. For over a decade, India has been progressively deepening military ties with Manila through equipment cooperation agreements. The BrahMos sale signals India’s emergence as a credible alternative source for advanced naval strike capabilities in Indo-Pacific nations seeking to counter Chinese military assertiveness.
The sea-skimming profile of the BrahMos is particularly suited to South China Sea operations, where low-altitude flight minimizes radar detection windows and forces defending systems to react at shorter timescales. This capability is critical for smaller naval forces operating in contested maritime zones.
According to Ignacio, military officials from the Philippines are regularly exploring Indian defence capabilities for future procurement. “India is now present in our minds when we look at our acquisition plans,” the envoy stated, underscoring a significant shift in Manila’s defence procurement calculus away from traditional Western suppliers toward diversified sources.
The BrahMos represents a convergence of India’s “Make in India” defence manufacturing push with strategic partnerships in the Indo-Pacific. As a co-produced system with Russia, it demonstrates India’s capability to manage complex international defence collaborations and export cutting-edge weaponry while maintaining domestic operational inventory.