India likely to deliver first batch of BrahMos missiles to Philippines on Friday

New Delhi: India is set to deliver the first batch of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines on Friday, over two years after inking a $375 million deal to supply the weapon systems with the Southeast Asian country, people familiar with the matter said.

A military transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force is likely to transport the missile and the launchers to the Philippines for delivering them to the country's marine forces, they said.

In January 2022, India sealed the deal with the Philippines for supplying three batteries of the missile.

It would be the first export of the BrahMos missile by India.

A few other countries including Argentina have also shown interest in procuring BrahMos missiles from India.

BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd, an India-Russian joint venture, produces the supersonic cruise missiles that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft, or land platforms.

BrahMos missile flies at a speed of 2.8 Mach or almost three times the speed of sound.

India has been looking at further expanding defence ties with the Philippines against the backdrop of growing global concerns over China's increasing military assertiveness in the South China Sea.

There have been growing global concerns over China's sweeping claims of sovereignty over all of the South China Sea, a huge source of hydrocarbons.

Several countries in the region, including Vietnam, the Philippines and Brunei, have counterclaims.

As part of efforts to boost military ties with the Philippines, India has decided to post a defence attache to that country along with Ethiopia, Mozambique, Poland and Ivory Coast.