India is reportedly open to offering the Extended Range (ER) variant of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile to the Philippines, a report said.
Three batteries of the Indian supersonic anti-ship missiles were procured by the Philippines in 2022 in a $375 million deal. Whilst this export variant has a strike range of around 290 kilometres, the BrahMos-ER can travel and take out targets at distances extending to 400 kilometres.
The availability of these variants means the batteries can be deployed much closer to the safety of the mainland instead of the coastlines, which leave the prized assets vulnerable. In other words, they can reach any target that the basic export variety can strike even from the safety of the mainland—a major deterrence advantage for Manila.
The Philippines, the first international customer of the BrahMos missiles, has entrusted its Marine Corps with the responsibility of operating them. The Marine Corps' Coastal Defence Regiment’s Shore-Based Anti-Ship Missile Battalion is in charge of the first of the three batteries. The Philippines decided to purchase the BrahMos from New Delhi with an agenda to combine it with other US long-range missiles at its disposal so that its ageing military arsenal can gradually catch up amidst growing tensions with China.
"For Manila, the increased missile capabilities have the potential to expand the defence umbrella that protects the Exclusive Economic Zone, strategic maritime communication routes, and important sea approaches that face ongoing regional security pressures," Defence Security Asia said in a report.
Meanwhile, the Indian Army is expected to place a major order for the 800 km strike variant of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile.
The 800 km range version of the BrahMos, featuring a modified ramjet engine and other upgrades, is a major improvement over the earlier 290-plus km and later 450-plus km variants of the missile. According to defence officials, the Ministry of Defence is likely to clear the Army’s procurement plan at a high-level meeting, a report by news agency ANI said.
