NEW DELHI: The second battery of the BrahMos cruise missile has been moved out for the Philippines, marking a milestone in Indian defence exports.“The second battery of the missile has been sent in a ship this time,” a defence source said, confirming the development. “The first battery was sent in April 2024 in an IAF aircraft, with support coming from civil aircraft agencies. The long-haul flight carrying the heavy load was a non-stop six-hour journey before the equipment reached the western parts of the Philippines,” the source said.The deal with the Philippines was announced in January 2022 for the supply of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, making it the country’s first major defence export order.As reported by this newspaper, the Philippines Department of National Defence issued the ‘Notice of Award’ to India’s BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited, approving a $374.96 million (`2,700 crore) contract for the purchase of a shore-based anti-ship missile system (SBASMS) from India.As per the initial deal, the Philippines will get three batteries for the missile system, which has a range of 290 kilometres and a speed of 2.8 Mach (around 3,400 kms, thrice the speed of sound). The deal also encompassed training for operators and the necessary integrated logistics support package.The operator training for the missile system was conducted in February 2023 for 21 personnel of the Philippine Navy. The training focused on the operations and maintenance of some of the most important logistics packages of SBASMS to be delivered to the Philippines.Also, as reported first by this newspaper, in January this year Indonesia’s defence ministry sent a letter regarding a $450 million BrahMos deal to the Indian embassy in Jakarta. India has been in talks with Indonesia, Thailand, and a few other nations that have shown interest in the system.The BrahMos missile can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft or land. According to sources, the missile —a collaboration between India and Russia—is undergoing a process where 83% of its components are being indigenised.
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