Part of: Prelims and GS-II International Relations and GS-III Defence and security
Context: The Philippines signed a $374.96-million deal with BrahMos Aerospace Private Ltd. for the supply of shore-based anti-ship variant of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile.
This is the first export order for the missile, a joint product of India and Russia
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.
