369 Million Order for Three Batteries
The Philippines’ Department of National Defense (DND) announced on 28 January that it awarded a PHP18.9 billion ($369 million) contract to BrahMos Aerospace to acquire a shore-based anti-ship missile system to bolster the country’s coastal defences, amid regional tensions over territorial disputes.
The DND stated that the deal, which was signed during a virtual ceremony held that same day, is for three batteries of the BrahMos supersonic anti-ship cruise missile, making Manila the first international customer of the Indo-Russian weapon system. A battery typically consists of three mobile launchers, each of which is fitted with tracking systems and two or three missile tubes.
The weapons are being procured from India to meet a requirement under the Philippine Navy’s ‘Shore-based, Anti-Ship Missile Acquisition Project’. “Equipping our navy with this vital asset is imperative as the Philippines continues to protect the integrity of its territory and defend its national interests,” said Lorenzana. “As the world’s fastest supersonic cruise missiles, the Brahmos missiles will provide deterrence against any attempt to undermine our sovereignty and sovereign rights, especially in the West Philippine Sea.”
In late December 2021 the DND issued a ‘Notice of Award’ (NoA) saying that it had accepted the proposed price of USD374.9 million to acquire the weapon systems, which are being acquired under the ‘Second Horizon’ phase (2018-2022) of the Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program (RAFPMP).
A few weeks later, on 21 January, the state-owned Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported that the Philippine Army (PA) is also planning to acquire the BrahMos. The media outlet quoted PA spokesperson Colonel Xerxes Trinidad as saying that the army’s acquisition of the missile type is set to take place under the ‘Third Horizon’ phase (2023-2027) of the RAFPMP.
“The acquisition of two batteries will serve as the general support artillery unit in coastal defence that will [complement] the joint force in territorial defence,” Col Trinidad was quoted as saying, adding that the BrahMos procurement would meet the PA’s requirement for a ground-based, anti-ship missile (GBASM) capability.
The DND had already identified the BrahMos as a priority purchase a few years ago amid concerns over Chinese assertiveness in what Manila views as Philippine territorial waters, but the procurement process is believed to have been delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The original BrahMos missile is based on the Yakhont supersonic cruise missile, which is the export version of the Russian domestic P-800 (3M55) Oniks missile. However, several new, more advanced variants of the weapon have been developed featuring a growing percentage of Indian-made components and systems.
Until recently all variants of the missile were reported to have a range of 290km and carry a warhead weighing between 2-300 kilograms.
Gabriel Dominguez for MON
