Gibo confirms another BrahMos missile system delivery

Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. on Wednesday confirmed the delivery of another batch of shore-based anti-ship “BrahMos” missile systems in the Philippines.

In an ambush interview in Mandaluyong City, Teodoro said the Department of National Defense (DND) is currently identifying potential storage sites and deployment locations for the incoming BrahMos missile systems.

“Iyan ay mga dating order na, talagang may parating naman. At ang aking ginagawa, na-order nga ito ngunit kung saan ito ilalagay at kung saan ito i-i-store hindi nakahanda noon at aming inihabol at aming inihanda. So parating na ito at aming gagawin ang kailangan natin upang magamit ito ng tama (Those are previous orders, and they’re indeed set to arrive. What I’ve been doing is addressing the fact that while these were already ordered, there was no preparation back then on where to place or store them. So we’ve worked to catch up and make the necessary preparations. Now that they’re arriving, we’ll do what’s needed to ensure they’re used properly),” he told reporters.

The Philippines acquired the weapon systems from BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd., a defense material production company in India, as part of Horizon 2 of the Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Program.

In January 2022, the Philippines and India signed a contract for the acquisition of the Indian-made BrahMos medium-range ramjet supersonic cruise missiles, worth P18.9 billion, with the initial delivery completed in April 2024.

The acquisition deal includes the delivery of three missile batteries, each of which will consist of mobile autonomous launchers and tracking systems.

The Indian-made weapon system is seen to improve the Philippine Navy's firepower, particularly the Philippine Marine Corps' Coast Defense Regiment.

The Philippines is the third Southeast Asian country to acquire the world’s fastest supersonic anti-ship missile system, after Indonesia and Vietnam.

The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system will provide counter-attack capabilities within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.

Both the Philippines and India have been close partners in development and capacity building, as well as committed to adhering to a rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific Region.

Various Indian newspapers reported that the second BrahMos battery system will be delivered on a ship.

In August last year, AFP Chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. said the military is considering the acquisition of additional mid-range missile systems to boost the country’s credible deterrence.

With the acquisition of the BrahMos missile system, Brawner emphasized the significance of building a “self-reliant defense posture.”

Brawner noted that this step aligns with the military’s transformation roadmap aimed at becoming a world-class armed force.

“We are wanting to get more of the latest weapon systems—that includes the mid-range capability,” he said.

The BrahMos missile system, carrying a conventional warhead weighing 200 to 300 kilograms, operates on the “fire and forget principle” as it adopts various flight profiles on its way to the target. It has a cruising altitude up to 15 kilometers and a terminal altitude as low as 10 meters.

Compared to existing subsonic cruise missiles, BrahMos has three times more velocity, 2.5 to three times more flight range, and three to four times more seeker range. It also has 9 times more kinetic energy, which enhances destructive weapon power.