Summary: India has begun delivering BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines as part of a $375 million deal, enhancing Manila's defensive capabilities amid rising tensions with China in the South China Sea.

-The BrahMos, developed jointly by India and Russia, can reach speeds close to Mach 3 and has a range of 290 kilometers. This transfer marks a significant step in defense cooperation between India and the Philippines, aimed at countering China's assertive regional posture.

-The missile's arrival also coincides with ongoing disputes over the Spratly Islands, with China expressing disapproval of the arms deal.

India Delivers BrahMos Missiles to the Philippines, Bolstering Defense Amid South China Sea Tensions

Much has been made about China's land-based missiles that can strike targets throughout the Indo-Pacific. But Beijing’s regional rivals don’t completely lack a response. Indeed, this month, India started delivering BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines.

Manila acquired the Indian-made missiles under a $375 million deal signed in 2022, Voice of America reported. 

"Now we are also exporting BrahMos missiles. The first batch of this missile is going to the Philippines today,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Friday at an election rally.

India and the Philippines have ramped up defense cooperation to counter an increasingly assertive China.

The BrahMos – Russian Origins

The BrahMos, designated as the PJ-10, is a medium-range, ramjet supersonic cruise missile that can be launched from submarines, ships, fighter aircraft, or a ground-based Transporter Erector Launcher. The missile, which is based on the P-800 Oniks, was developed as part of a joint venture between the Indian Defense Research and Development Organization and the Russian Federation's NPO Mashinostroyeniya, which formed BrahMos Aerospace. The company took its name from the Brahmaputra River in India and the Moskva in Russia.

More than 85% of the hardware is manufactured in India. According to BrahMos Aerospace, it is a two-stage missile. A solid propellant booster engine is its first stage, bringing the missile to supersonic speed before separating. Its liquid ramjet, the second stage, takes the missile close to Mach 3 in the cruise phase. It is also equipped with stealth technology and a guidance system with advanced embedded software.

The missile has a flight range of up to 290 kilometers (180 miles). Supersonic speed throughout the flight leads to a short flight time and lower dispersion of targets. Its destructive power is further enhanced by its large kinetic energy on impact, and the BrahMos can carry a conventional warhead weighing between 200 and 300 kilograms (440 and 660 pounds).

Now in the Philippines

The first batch of BrahMos cruise missiles arrived at Clark International Airport north of Manila on Friday. The missiles were handed over to the Philippine military to be deployed at an undisclosed location within the country's archipelagic territory.

As Newsweek reported, the high-profile arms transfer comes amid a simmering Philippines-China dispute over the Spratly Islands archipelago in the South China Sea, where the Chinese and Philippine coast guards have clashed over territorial features claimed by both sides. Beijing asserts historical rights to all of the region's islands and reefs, claiming vast maritime zones in the process. However, Manila also lays claim to territories and traditional fishing grounds within its exclusive economic zone in an area it calls the West Philippine Sea.

Beijing has been quite vocal in its disapproval of the missile transfer.

"The South China Sea issue is a matter between China and some ASEAN countries. China maintains that maritime disputes should be handled properly with countries directly concerned through negotiation and consultation," Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., told Newsweek in an email.  

The BrahMos could make it harder for Beijing to employ gunboat diplomacy.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu 

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].