The Philippines on Friday revealed the BrahMos supersonic anti-ship missile battery that it bought from India during an event to mark the Platinum Jubilee of the Marine Corps. According to reports, the Philippine Marine Corps will be deploying the first battery, which was included in the video released as part of the jubilee celebrations, in Western Luzon. The Marine’s Coastal Defense Regiment’s Shore-based Anti-Ship Missile Battalion will be entrusted with the BrahMos battery, reports said.
The Philippines decided to purchase India's BrahMos in the hope of combining it with the likes of other US long-range missiles at its disposal so that its ageing military arsenal can gradually catch up amidst growing tensions with China.
The intimidating presence of Chinese naval vessels, with surveillance, Coast Guard, and militia ships to guard its flanks, Manila feels its sovereignty is constantly threatened. There were numerous tense moments between the two countries in recent times and Taiwan also in the mix of things, Manila couldn't afford further slip-ups.
However, the arrival of BrahMos batteries could offer some relief to Manila. If positioned at the strategic regions, the long-range missiles that proved their mettle during Operation Sindoor could shatter the belief of invincibility that Beijing enjoyed in the region.
BrahMos: The game-changer for Manila in the region
The first missile battery, with a striking range of up to 290 kilometres, will be stationed in Western Luzon — a broader classification of provinces on the western side of Luzon Island. The deployment is strategically important for Manila as among the provinces included in Western Luzon along the West Philippine Sea is Zambales, which reportedly provides direct line-of-fire coverage over the Scarborough Shoal.
The marine life-rich Scarborough Shoal is claimed by both Manila and Beijing but is currently controlled by the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague had settled the issue in favour of the Philippines, ruling that Scarborough Shoal belongs to the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). However, China rejected the ruling and continues to station its Coast Guard vessels there, reports said. On the financial side of things, it can offer livelihood to thousands of Filipino fishermen, while strategically, its militarisation could control naval access to Manila Bay and Subic Bay — both crucial for the Philippines.
Zambales is reportedly the nearest land point facing Scarborough Shoal and is located along key sea lanes where PLA Navy ships have been repeatedly active. Thus, in case of an escalation, it is the perfect place to open shore-based anti-ship missile operations from — putting PLA's troops at risk. Thus, the deployment of BrahMos under the Shore-based Anti-Ship Missile Battalion is seen as a deterrent against Beijing's potential misadventures in the region after it declared Scarborough Shoal its national nature reserve, USNI News said in a report.
Three batteries of the Indian supersonic anti-ship missiles were procured by the Philippines in 2022 in a $375 million deal. Quoting the Coastal Defense Regiment, USNI News said that each BrahMos battery with the Marine Corps is equipped with two mobile autonomous launchers, one radar vehicle, a missile reloader, and a command and control truck.