The Philippine Army has shown a keen interest in buying the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, regarded as the world’s fastest supersonic missile, in order to strengthen its coastal defences.
Major General Reynaldo Aquino, the Vice Commander of the Philippine Army, confirmed this over the weekend while undertaking a tour of the visiting Indian Navy Ship (INS) Sahyadri docked in the country’s capital Manila.
Philippine Army wants BrahMos missile as its First Land-Based Missile System Battery (1LBMS).
Philippine Army spokesperson Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala also confirmed that Major General Reynaldo Aquino and INS Sahyadri Commanding Officer Captain Ashwin Arvind discussed the possible acquisition of the BrahMos missile.
The Indian-manufactured weapons system is a medium-range ramjet supersonic cruise missile that can be launched from submarine, ships, aircraft, or land. The BrahMos missile, with a flight range of 290 kilometres, can ensure the lower dispersion of targets, quicker engagement time and non-interception by any known weapons system in the world. It is the world’s fastest anti-ship cruise missile in operation.
This extraordinary missile has been developed as a joint venture between the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) of India and the Federal State Unitary Enterprise NPO Mashinostroyenia (NPOM) of Russia as BrahMos Aerospace via an inter-government agreement.
It was successfully test-fired at 10.20 am on September 30, 2019, from Chandipur in Odisha for its full range of 290-km during the launch jointly conducted by DRDO and BrahMos Aerospace. The successful flight test was a landmark achievement in enhancing India’s “Make in India” capabilities. While several nations have expressed interest in the BrahMos, India has yet to secure an export deal for the weapon, which was first tested in 2001.
Last year when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Philippines, India and Philippines signed four agreements, including one to step up bilateral cooperation in the defence and logistics sector.
