Atul Chandra

PH eyes more Indian BrahMos cruise missile systems - Teodoro By Priam Nepomuceno MANILA – Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Giberto Teodoro Jr. said the country is looking to acquire more BrahMos cruise missile systems from India to improve its capabilities. Teodoro disclosed this during the 3rd Delhi Defense Dialogue, where he participated via video teleconference late Wednesday. He said the Philippines is very proud to be the first foreign country to acquire the Indian-made BrahMos cruise missile system, touted to be the fastest in the world. In January 2022, former defense secretary Delfin Lorenzana and BrahMos Aerospace director general Atul Dinkar Rane signed a contract for three BrahMos cruise system batteries worth PHP18.9 billion. A battery usually consists of three to six launchers, along with monitoring and tracking components, as well as a logistics support vehicle. The BrahMos cruise missile can be launched from a ship, aircraft, submarine, or land, and has a top speed of about Mach 2.8 (about 3,400 kph), and can carry warheads weighing 200 kg. to 300 kg. This weapon platform is expected to address the military’s weaknesses and vulnerability in sea control, anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD), and coastal and island defense operations. "That being said, we hope to increase the number of BrahMos units we have, and we have also shared a wish list on the BrahMos to the Indian authorities in order to make it more tailor-fitted for the Philippine environment," Teodoro said. Teodoro thanked India for its trust and confidence in providing the Philippines with very capable weapon systems. "And we think it is really a significant step, first, in the trust and confidence that India has in the Philippines, because giving such a capability is also a seal of good housekeeping on the recipient country that the Indian authorities made a determination that the country is responsible and that the country would use it only for defensive purposes and not for any purpose contrary to international law," he said. Space technology Teodoro said the Philippines is also seeking greater cooperation with India on space technology. "A special request to me made by the officials of India was cooperation in space technology, where the President of the Philippines (Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.) committed (to) cooperating into space technology, and we can offer synergies and potentials for cooperation with the Philippine Space Agency," he said. Teodoro said the Philippines can offer an "area for testing space technology" and some Filipinos with expertise in the field. "The President has instructed us to enter into an Armed Forces of the Philippines Satellite Acquisition Program, which, of course, India would be a very, very important potential partner for this," he added. (PNA) Defense Secretary Giberto Teodoro Jr. (Photo courtesy of DND)