Vietnam’s BrahMos plans spotlight India’s rising security role in Southeast Asia

The US$700 million deal would make Vietnam the second nation in the region to acquire the supersonic cruise missiles after the Philippines

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A BrahMos missile system is seen in New Delhi during a parade in 2021. Photo: AFP

Published: 5:30pm, 4 Jan 2025Updated: 8:09am, 6 Jan 2025

Vietnam’s planned purchase of India’s BrahMos missile system is more than just a US$700 million arms deal. It reflects Hanoi’s unease about China, its desire to reduce its reliance on Russian weaponry, and New Delhi’s emergence as a key player in regional security.

The deal, expected to be finalised within months according to Indian media reports, would make Vietnam the second country to acquire BrahMos missiles after the Philippines, which received its first shipment in April last year under a US$375 million agreement signed in 2022.

Developed by BrahMos Aerospace – a joint Indo-Russian venture – the supersonic cruise missile can reach speeds of Mach 2.8, or nearly three times the speed of sound, and cover distances of up to 900km (560 miles).

India’s sale of the missiles to Vietnam would serve both countries’ strategic interests amid concerns about China’s “assertive behaviour” in the region, according to Walter Ladwig, an international-relations lecturer at King’s College London.

BrahMos missiles on display at a defence exhibition in Gandhinagar, India, in 2022. Photo: AFP

“Coming on the heels of the deal with the Philippines, it also demonstrates that India’s role as a strategic and security player in Southeast Asia is expanding,” Ladwig said.