India’s BrahMos Aerospace will supply an onshore anti-ship missile system to the Philippine Navy under a $375 million contract.
The Philippines has agreed to buy an anti-ship missile system from India, confirmed Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.
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This will shore up security in the face of growing Chinese aggression in the South China Sea.
Manila’s military was one of the most poorly equipped in Asia when President Rodrigo Duterte’s predecessor, Benigno Aquino, began a modest modernization program in 2012. It is still no match for its superpower neighbor China.
Lorenzana offered few details about the nearly $375 million contract awarded to BrahMos Aerospace.
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BrahMos — a joint venture between India and Russia — has developed a cruise missile that the Indian defense ministry says is the fastest in the world and the Philippines would be the first country to purchase it.
The deal involves three batteries, training for operators and maintainers as well as logistics support.