Philippines Confirms Deal For BrahMos Cruise Missile With India To Be Singed In 2020

Pilippines’s Department of National Defence (DND) Secretary confirmed on Monday (16 December) the contract for the medium-range ramjet supersonic BrahMos cruise missiles will be signed with India by early next year, Philippine News Agency reported.

DND Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, while answering a question about the possibility of the Philippines having the missile on its inventory, said the BrahMos will be the first Philippine weaponry with deterrent capability

"Signing of the contract will be in 2020. Possibly on the first or second quarter," Lorenzana said in Filipino, adding that a total of “two batteries” will be acquired by the Philippine Army (PA).

One battery is equivalent to three mobile autonomous launchers with two or three missile tubes each.

PA spokesperson Lt Col Ramon Zagala had earlier said, “The Philippine Army is interested in acquiring this type of missile as it will strengthen our coastal defense operations.”

The Army wants BrahMos missile as its First Land-Based Missile System Battery (1LBMS).

Last year when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Philippines, New Delhi and Manila signed four agreements, including one to step up bilateral cooperation in the defence and logistics sector.

India’s “Act East Policy” was created to develop bilateral relationship with South East Asian countries and with Philippines India has diversified to include security and defence.