Indian Navy completes training of operating BrahMos missile to the Philippines
21 Feb 2023 12:44:41
Manila, Feb 21: In a significant development, the Indian Navy has trained 21 marine personnel from the Philippines Navy on how to operate the BrahMos supersonic missile system. Philippines Navy personnel were trained at the BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited facility in Nagpur.
This comes around a year after the Philippines signed a deal to buy the BrahMos supersonic missile from India.
According to the Philippines Marines Corps, the training of the Philippines Navy personnel started on January 23 and concluded on February 11. Following the completion of the BrahMos missile training course at Nagpur, Indian Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar awarded the Philippines marine personnel interim missile badges and pins during a valedictory ceremony.
“I sincerely hope that you will always cherish the bonds of friendship you had during your stay here. The induction of the BrahMos missile into the Philippine Marine Corps will strengthen your maritime capability and will also contribute to our collective maritime security within the region," Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar told the Philippines marine personnel during the ceremony.
The Philippines Navy has now inched closer to deploying the BrahMos anti-ship cruise missile system. It had earlier activated its first shore-based anti-ship missile battalion (SBASMB), which is part of the Coastal Defense Regiment that has been given the responsibility to operate the BrahMos missiles from India.
India and The Philippines had entered into an agreement for three batteries of the BrahMos missile system at a total cost of $375 million. The first battery of the BrahMos missile system is scheduled to be delivered to the Philippines by the middle of 2023.
With the completion of the delivery of the BrahMos missile systems, the Philippines will become the first nation to purchase this system which has been developed jointly by India and Russia.
The armed forces of India and Russia are already using various versions of the BrahMos missile. The Philippines had signed a deal to buy the BrahMos missile system from India in order to deter belligerent behaviour by China and strategic expansion by the Chinese into the South China Sea. Several other nations have also expressed their interest in purchasing the BrahMos missile system from India.