New Delhi: India and Philippines have signed a key enabling pact that will pave the way for government-to-government deals on defence equipment including the supersonic BrahMos cruise missile in the future. 

The ‘Implementing Arrangement’ concerning the procurement of defence material and equipment was signed by the two countries at the Camp Aguinaldo, headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Tuesday.

It also served as a “legal framework for the procurement under the government-to-government modality,” he added. 

The Brahmos sale
Plans for the possible sale of the Indo-Russian BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines had hit a roadblock in December last year with Manila citing budgetary limitations caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Roman Babushkin, the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Russian Embassy in India, had earlier said in December that the Indo-Russian joint venture (JV) firm — BrahMos Aerospace — is looking at exporting the weapons to other countries, starting with the Philippines.

ThePrint had then reported that the Russian statement had come as a surprise to the Indian security and defence establishment, because while talks were underway with the Philippines, the modalities were yet to be worked out.

BrahMos is the only supersonic cruise missile in the world that flies at three times the speed of sound (2.8 Mach). It is much sought-after because it can be used for both coastal defence and ground attack. 

India had offered a $100 million line of credit for the purchase of the weapon. 

While India is working to extend the range of the BrahMos missile, the version that will be exported will come with a “normal range” of 290 km. 

Source: The Print 

BDST: 1703 HRS, MAR 06, 2021
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