BrahMos Cruise Missile Delivered To Philippines Marks Historic Milestone for India

The Indian Air Force recently deployed its American-origin C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft to deliver missiles to the Philippines’ Marine Corps. Indian officials marked the delivery of the BrahMos missile by offering sweets to the Philippines Marine Corps officers. This export of ground systems for the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system, along with the missiles themselves, began last month.

The timing of the missile system delivery to the Philippines is significant given the heightened tensions between the Philippines and China, particularly in the South China Sea. The Philippines plans to deploy three batteries of the BrahMos missile system in their coastal areas to enhance regional security. This deal has received multiple approvals from partner nations involved in the programme.

The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile is a successful joint venture between the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) of India and the Russian Federation’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya. It is considered to be one of the most successful missile programs in the world, and it has significantly improved India’s deterrence capabilities. Since 2007, the Indian Army has integrated multiple BrahMos regiments into its arsenal.

The missile itself features a two-stage propulsion system with a solid propellant booster engine as the first stage, propelling it to supersonic speed, and a liquid ramjet engine as the second stage, propelling it closer to Mach 3 speed in the cruise phase. It is versatile and can be launched from air, land, and sea platforms, and operates on the ‘Fire and Forget principle’, maintaining a high supersonic speed throughout its flight.