Philippines eyes Indian BrahMos to counter growing China threat

New Delhi: The Philippines is pursuing up to nine additional BrahMos coastal missile batteries from India to counter the Chinese threat in the South China Sea, strengthening its coastal defence capabilities amid rising tensions in the region, according to a report.

The development comes four years after the Philippines signed a $374 million deal to acquire three BrahMos missile batteries, aimed at enhancing the capabilities of its armed forces.

The Philippines was the first foreign country to acquire the Indian-Russian BrahMos supersonic anti-ship missile, marking a significant step in strengthening its coastal defence.

In March this year, Indonesia also signed an agreement to buy the BrahMos missile system from India.

The emergence of a broader network of missile defences along the shores of ASEAN nations could pose a growing strategic challenge for China.

“If implemented at maximum scale, the programme would move BrahMos from a concentrated Marine capability toward a joint Army-Marine fires architecture spanning Luzon, Palawan, and other strategically exposed approaches across the archipelago,” Malaysia-based Defence Security Asia, said in a report.

That force posture, as per the expert, supports the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept, which redirects the Armed Forces of the Philippines from internal security toward external defence, dispersed basing, maritime awareness, and survivable long-range precision fires.

Notably, India used BrahMos during border clashes with Pakistan in May 2025, where it played a decisive role in striking key military targets and demonstrating the missile system’s precision and operational effectiveness.