Department of Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. confirmed Wednesday the Philippines has received another delivery of shore-based BrahMos anti-ship missile systems.
Teodoro said the Department of National Defense is currently identifying potential storage and deployment sites for the newly arrived missile systems.
“Those are previous orders, and they’re indeed set to arrive,” Teodoro said. “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.”
The Philippines is acquiring the BrahMos missile systems from BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd., an Indian defense company, as part of the Horizon 2 phase of its Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Program.
In January 2022, the Philippines and India signed a P18.9 billion contract for the Indian-made BrahMos medium-range ramjet supersonic cruise missiles. The initial delivery was completed in April 2024.
The acquisition deal includes the delivery of three missile batteries, each consisting of mobile autonomous launchers and tracking systems.
The BrahMos system is expected to significantly enhance the firepower of the Philippine Navy, particularly the Philippine Marine Corps’ Coast Defense Regiment.
The Philippines is the third Southeast Asian nation to acquire the BrahMos, following Indonesia and Vietnam. The missile system will provide counter-attack capabilities within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
Philippine and Indian officials have stressed their close partnership in development, capacity building, and commitment to a rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific region.
Various Indian news outlets have reported that the second BrahMos battery system was delivered by ship.
Last August, AFP Chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said the military was considering acquiring additional mid-range missile systems to strengthen the country’s defense capabilities.