India confirms delivery of BrahMos missiles to PH

The BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles have been successfully delivered to the Philippines.

According to a ''24 Oras Weekend'' report by Vonne Aquino on Saturday, reports from an Indian news outlet said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself announced the delivery during an election rally.

Based on the report, the missile system was delivered to the Philippine Marine Corps on Friday, while the ground system was sent last month.

Though the National Security Council and the Armed Forces of the Philippines declined to confirm the delivery, NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya said acquiring these missiles was a "game changer" in strengthening the nation's coastal defenses.

“It’s maximum extent in terms of range exceeds the West Philippine Sea. This actually means that if makakita tayo ng pumapasok sa teritoryo natin and threat siya, (This actually means that if we see something entering our territory as a threat) the BrahMos missile can hit that target the moment it enters our exclusive economic zone,” Malaya said, adding Filipino soldiers have been receiving training in India to operate the missile system.

He also clarified that the Philippines was not preparing for war.

''We are not preparing for war. This is more of a deterrent because we now have several  batteries for this BrahMos cruise missile, which is going to be deployed to the Philippine Marines,” he said.

In January 2022, the Duterte administration, through then-Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, signed a contract for the acquisition of a shore-based anti-ship missile system worth P18.9 billion.

The deal with BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture between India and Russia, involves three batteries, training for operators and maintainers, as well as logistics support. — Jiselle Anne Casucian/VBL, GMA Integrated News