Indonesia has reached an agreement with India to buy the BrahMos missile system, its Defense Ministry spokesman Rico Ricardo Sirait. BrahMos, a company co-owned by the governments of India and Russia, told it was in advanced talks with Jakarta on a deal worth USD 200 million to USD 350 million, due in 2023, according to ET Now sources.
Rico said the agreement was "part of the modernisation of military hardware and defence capabilities, especially in the maritime sector."
He declined to confirm the total value of the agreement. The company finalised its first foreign deal with Indonesia's Southeast Asian neighbor, the Philippines, in 2022. BrahMos and India's Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The purchase comes after the Philippines became the first foreign buyer of BrahMos missiles in 2022, signing a USD 375 million deal to bolster its coastal defenses. The system has since become a key part of Manila's strategy to counter rising tensions in the South China Sea, where it faces an increasingly assertive China.
What is the BrahMos missile?
India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia's NPO Mashinostroyenia jointly developed the BrahMos missile. It is a precision-guided, multi-platform supersonic cruise missile capable of speeds up to Mach 3. It can be launched from land, sea, air, or submarines, and has a strike range of approximately 290-500 km..
The system is renowned for its accuracy, stealth-evading capability, and versatility. India has already exported the BrahMos to the Philippines, making it its first foreign buyer. Indonesia is now set to become the second Southeast Asian country to purchase this advanced system.