BrahMos missile system a ‘game-changer’ — NSC

Supersonic cruise missile’s range covers WPS

The National Security Council said the government’s purchase of India’s BrahMos missile system would be a “game-changer” for the country’s maritime defensive capabilities.

NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya said the BrahMos missile is one of the fastest cruise missiles in the world, noting that its maximum range would cover the West Philippine Sea.

Indian media reported that the first batch of the supersonic cruise missile arrived in the Philippines on Friday as part of the $375 million agreement between the government and BrahMos Aerospace in 2022.

Malaya, however, said he was not in a position to confirm the delivery of the cruise missile.

“I don’t want to preempt my partners at the Department of National Defense. I think they will make an announcement soon. I’d like to defer to them because NSC didn’t buy it, so I want them to confirm rather than me,” he said.

In October, Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said the BrahMos cruise missile system would be deployed first with the Philippine Marine Corps.

“The Marines will be getting the first deliveries of the BrahMos – I think they will be getting three batteries,” he said.

While he did not specify the number of batteries the Army would be getting, Brawner said it would be higher than those that would be acquired by the Marines.

A missile battery typically consists of three mobile autonomous launchers with two or three missile tubes each, along with the tracking systems.

The BrahMos cruise missile can be launched from a ship, aircraft, submarine or land, and has a top speed of around Mach 2.8 (around 3,400 km. per hour), and is capable of carrying warheads weighing 200 to 300 kilograms.

Each system comprises two missile launchers, a radar unit, and a command-and-control center.

This system allows for the firing of two missiles within a span of 10 seconds.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier hailed the delivery of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines.

“Now we are also exporting BrahMos missiles. The first batch of this missile is going to the Philippines today,” Modi said on Friday. — Charles Dantes