Philippines approves $374-million BrahMos contract

Philippines approves $374-million BrahMos contract

Part of: Prelims and GS-II International Relations and GS-III Defence and Security 

Context: In the first export order for the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system, the Philippines has approved a $374.96 mn contract for the purchase of a shore-based anti-ship variant of the missile from India.

Key takeaways 

• It includes the delivery of three batteries, training for operators and maintainers as well as the necessary Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) package.
• The coastal defence regiment of the Philippine Marines will be the primary employer.
• There is interest for acquiring BrahMos missiles from several countries and negotiations are in advanced stages with Indonesia and Thailand. 

About BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile 

• BrahMos, deployed by the Navy on its warships first in 2005, has the capability to hit sea-based targets beyond radar horizon.
• Capable of being launched from land, sea, sub-sea and air against surface- and sea-based targets
• The missiles, fired at a speed of 2.8 Mach or nearly three times the speed of sound, significantly increase the capability of the ships in engaging long-range targets.
• The name BrahMos is a portmanteau formed from the names of two rivers, the Brahmaputra of India and the Moskva of Russia.
• It is the world’s fastest anti-ship cruise missile currently in operation.
• BrahMos missiles are designed and developed by BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture company set up by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Mashinostroyenia of Russia

News Source: TH