Philippine Navy Personnel Complete BrahMos Missile Operations Training In India

The Philippines signed a deal worth almost $375 million with India’s BrahMos Aerospace in January 2022 for the Philippine Marines to acquire three batteries of the BrahMos cruise missile.

File photo of a BrahMos missile being tested. ( Image Source :PTI )

Indian Navy chief Admiral R Hari Kumar awarded 21 Philippine Navy personnel their interim missile badges and pins during a valedictory ceremony on Saturday. The ceremony marked the completion of operator training for the BrahMos cruise missile, bringing the two countries a step closer to fulfilling a deal signed last year. The training focused on operations and maintenance of the Shore-Based Anti-Ship Missile System, which will be delivered to the Philippines later this year.

The Philippines signed a deal worth almost $375 million with India’s BrahMos Aerospace in January 2022 for the Philippine Marines to acquire three batteries of the BrahMos cruise missile. This deal is seen not only as a boost to New Delhi's efforts to emerge as an exporter of major defence hardware but also as a counterbalance to China's assertiveness over disputes in the region. The Philippine Marines will use the BrahMos as a shore-based anti-ship missile, with the South China Sea being one of the potential areas for deployment.

The operator training is a crucial part of the BrahMos deal. Addressing the ceremony, Admiral Hari Kumar said that the induction of the BrahMos missile into the Philippine Marine Corps would strengthen the country's maritime capability and contribute to the collective maritime security within the region. He congratulated the officers who completed the practical series of training and wished them well in their future endeavours.

Col Romulo D Quemado, Commander of the Coastal Defense Regiment (Provisional), praised the team for their successful completion of the training and expressed his optimism about the future of the regiment with the trained personnel. He also stressed the importance of retaining the knowledge gained during the training to honour the investment made by the Filipino people.

The Philippines was set to become the first country to buy the BrahMos missile in December 2019. Both sides were eager to sign the deal during a proposed visit by President Rodrigo Duterte early in 2021, but the plan fell through due to widespread disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.