India’s ambition to be a net exporter of defence systems may soon receive a major impetus as the nation is expected to get export orders from the Philippines for BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles that can be fired from land, submarines, ships and fighter jets. According to government sources cited by ANI, “India and Philippines are in an advanced stage of negotiations over the sale of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile. Export order likely to be placed soon.”
According to Indian media reports, the Philippines’ department of budget management has issued two “special allotment release orders” worth 1.3 billion pesos and 1.535 billion pesos. The funds are reportedly for the “Shore-Based Anti-Ship Missile System Acquisition Project” of the Philippine Navy.
The Philippines had expressed its interest to acquire the supersonic cruise missile system back in 2019. The deal originally slated to be signed in 2020 was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Filipino defence secretary Delfin Lorenzana had informed that his country intended to buy two batteries of the missile system.
On Sunday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh laid the foundation stone of the Brahmos Missiles production unit at Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow.
