Philippines Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo hailed the BrahMos missile deal between India and the Philippines as a significant milestone in bolstering defence ties and opening doors for further military collaboration between the two nations.
Speaking about the shore-based, anti-ship BrahMos supersonic cruise missile deal, Manalo emphasized its broader impact on defence relations.
“It is a major development in our defence relations. This will pave the way for deeper collaboration—not just in military equipment, but also in training, officer exchanges, and operational coordination,” he stated.
India delivered the BrahMos missile systems to the Philippines Marine Corps in April 2024 as part of a $375 million agreement signed in 2022. The delivery, transported via the Indian Air Force’s C-17 Globemaster aircraft, included both missiles and ground systems.
The arrival of three BrahMos missile batteries comes amid rising tensions between the Philippines and China in the South China Sea, where maritime disputes have escalated in recent months. The missile systems will be deployed along coastal regions to enhance the Philippines’ defensive capabilities against regional threats.
Beyond defence cooperation, Manalo engaged with Indian business leaders at the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), where he underscored the diversification of India-Philippines relations into strategic sectors such as:
- Waste management
- Green mobility
- Agricultural technology
FICCI President Harsha Vardhan Agarwal echoed these sentiments, stating, “While trade and investment remain key areas, we are witnessing deeper engagement in critical sectors alongside the expanding defence partnership.”
The BrahMos missile is a joint venture between India’s DRDO and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya. As one of the world’s fastest precision-guided weapons, it has significantly enhanced India’s deterrence capabilities since being integrated into the Indian Army’s arsenal in 2007.
With the successful export of BrahMos to the Philippines, India has taken a major step towards becoming a key global defence supplier, reinforcing strategic partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region.
