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With BrahMos missile delivery to Philippines, India sets out its arms stall for Southeast Asia
- Manila has received its first batch of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles from India under a US$375 million deal to counterbalance China
- Observers say the arms deal is the start of a ‘clear push’ by New Delhi to expand military sales beyond traditional partners in Southeast Asia
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India has delivered its first batch of supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines, marking a significant step forward for New Delhi’s bid to counterbalance growing Chinese influence in Southeast Asia.
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The arms deal is seen by observers as part of India’s wider goal to establish itself as a security partner for the region, with the export of missiles timed to coincide with the country’s ongoing election to highlight the ruling party’s vow to boost defence infrastructure.
On Friday last week, India delivered the BrahMos missiles to the Philippines under a US$375 million deal signed in 2022. Reports indicate Manila intends to deploy the weapons along the country’s amid rising tensions with Beijing in the South China Sea.
Walter Ladwig, a senior international-relations lecturer at King’s College London, called the missile sale a “very interesting development” given India’s traditional lack of a strong relationship with the Philippines.
“This is part of a clear push by India to expand its defence cooperation with Southeast Asian countries beyond its usual partners, Vietnam and Singapore,” Ladwig, whose academic research focuses on geopolitics in the Indo-Pacific and Indian foreign and defence policy, told This Week in Asia.
India’s defence exports hit a record 210.8 billion rupees (US$2.5 billion) last financial year, up more than 32 per cent from 2022-23, with the Philippines’ BrahMos missiles accounting for the largest slice of the export pie. Delhi wants to export 350 billion rupees worth of arms and weaponry this financial year.
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