India is gearing up to export ground systems for the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile within the next 10 days, with the initial shipment expected to reach the Philippines by March this year. Dr. Samir V Kamat, Chairman of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), shared this development, highlighting the strategic importance of defence exports in an interview with ANI.
The export initiative stems from a defence contract signed with the Philippines in January 2022, valued at $375 million. The contract involves the supply of shore-based anti-ship variants of the BrahMos missile system.
Dr. Kamat pointed out the growing role of exports in India’s defence portfolio, citing successful examples like hull-mounted sonars, lightweight torpedoes, and radars, with increasing interest in products such as Pinaka.
The DRDO chairman noted that the BrahMos missile export to the Philippines represents India’s largest defence contract with a foreign nation. Ground systems are set to be shipped in the next 10 days, and the missiles are expected to reach the Philippines by the end of March.
Highlighting the increasing significance of defence exports, Dr. Kamat mentioned that DRDO-developed products worth approximately Rs 4.94 lakh crore have been inducted into the defence system or received approval from the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC). He emphasized the accelerated progress in the last 5-7 years, anticipating this trend to continue at an even faster pace.
The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system, a successful joint venture between India and Russia, is known for its precision-guided capabilities, significantly enhancing India’s deterrence capabilities. The next-generation variant of the missile, designed to be smaller, lighter, and smarter, can be deployed on a broader range of modern military platforms.