India appears to have been happy to supply the Philippines with its advanced missiles, at least in part because the likely target of those missiles will be China.
In January 2022, India and the Philippines signed a contract for India to supply the Philippines with three shore-based anti-ship missile batteries of the BrahMos system. The contract was valued at around $375 million.
Clearly, the weapon was meant to deter the increasingly bellicose People’s Liberation Army Navy and China Coast Guard, which have been acting with extreme aggression toward the Philippines in the South China Sea (SCS). The system has been described as a “shore-based anti-ship missile system,” meaning it will be deployed on land at coastal locations to engage naval surface targets.
Meanwhile, the US military has also deployed the Typhon Missile System, which can launch Tomahawk and Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) missiles that can devastate Chinese naval forces crossing near Philippine coastlines. This signals how serious the Philippine government is about deterring greater levels of Chinese aggression directed at their country.
Why the Philippines Sought a Missile Deal with India
Manilla’s deal with New Delhi was comprehensive. It included the support equipment for the BrahMos system, as well as the BrahMos itself. The equipment supporting the BrahMos include mobile launchers, radar and command-and-control, along with logistics support. India will be training Philippine military personnel on the system, too.
Earlier this year, Manilla began negotiating an expansion of the program under the imprimatur of the “Integrated Shore-Based Anti-Ship Missile System (ISBASMS) Acquisition Project.” Because of this, Manilla is in talks with New Delhi to expand their BrahMos order by an additional nine batteries.
At some point, the Philippines anticipates having to battle the Chinese military for dominance in its near-abroad. These systems will help the Philippines to do that—and might prove decisive if there is any Chinese military attack directed against Taiwan (and the Chinese move warships near the Philippines’ coastline).
The delivery of the BrahMos system to the Philippines occurred in April 2024. That first batch involved mobile launch units, missiles, and associated systems. One report says an Indian Air Force IL-76 aircraft transported the equipment to the Philippines. A second battery was delivered a year later, in April of this year. The third of the originally contracted three batteries is presumably still in the pipeline.
With a range of 290 kilometers (around 180 miles) when used by export customers, the BrahMos is a good pick by the Philippines for standing up to the Chinese military. The missile employs a two-stage propulsion system that includes a solid-propellant booster for launch, then a liquid-fuel (ramjet) engine for sustained cruise. This system can be fired from land-based mobile launchers as well as from naval vessels, submarines, and even aircraft.
As noted above, though, the Philippines are purchasing land-launched systems.
Does India Want to Hurt China in the South China Sea?
India has striven to become competitive in the global arms market and their deal with the Philippines is the first major export of the BrahMos system. The deal marks India’s entry as a defense-exporter of an advanced missile system.
It underscores India’s strategic interest in the Indo-Pacific region, building closer defense ties with ASEAN nations and contributing to a multipolar regional security framework—which it appears to think will weaken the pull of China, which has hegemonic ambitions in the region.
While powerful, this system is but one piece of a broader maritime defense posture. China has what Western nations clearly lack when it comes to weapons: scale. Let us hope that China simply doesn’t overwhelm whatever coastal defenses the Philippines have arrayed around their archipelago.
About the Author: Brandon J. Weichert
Brandon J. Weichert is a senior national security editor at The National Interest. Recently, Weichert became the host of The National Security Hour on America Outloud News and iHeartRadio, where he discusses national security policy every Wednesday at 8pm Eastern. He is also a contributor at Popular Mechanics and has consulted regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including The Washington Times, National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, and the Asia Times. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.
Image: Shutterstock / PradeepGaurs.
