By Aritra Banerjee
New Delhi’s $375-million BrahMos deal with Manila signified a major milestone for both nations. Now, India’s first export customer is on the verge of bolstering its coastal defences to enhance its national security, with a significant Indian defence industry player laying the framework as a strategic partner, and laying the foundation for the Government of India’s ‘Make For The World’ ambitions.
The activation of the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) Shore Based Anti-Ship Missile (SBASM) battalion on 3 April 2022 gave Manila’s coastal defences a shot in the arm amidst ongoing geopolitical tensions with Beijing. PMC Commandant Major General Nestor Herico spoke about this development, on Thursday and said, “The activation of SBASM (Provisional) will certainly add to drumbeat the heartbeat and deliver the knockout punch for our archipelagic coastal defence capability.”
The SBSAM battalion will be equipped with the state-of-the-art BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile. The induction of the BrahMos is expected to empower the new marine battalion to detect, acquire, track, and eliminate targets with pinpoint accuracy. BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited (BAPL) will soon deliver a coastal battery to the new Filipino marine battalion. The battery is expected to comprise three autonomous mobile launchers with two or three missile tubes each, along with the tracking systems.
The procurement of a sophisticated shore-based missile system (SBM) like the BrahMosis designed to serve a strategic role for any coastal defence system, allowing the end-user to enhance maritime security whilst maintaining a defensive posture. The BrahMos changes the balance of power for the Philippines by addressing the country’s unique geographic challenges along with the country’s vulnerability in maintaining sea control, anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD), and coastal and island defence operations as guided by the Philippines Navy’s Active Archipelagic Defense Strategy and PMC’s Archipelagic Coastal Defense Concept.
Maj Gen. Herico called on the SBASM Battalion commander Lieutenant Colonel Miguel P. Perez, to train marines under his command and forge the newest cutting-edge technology of the AFP. “You will be striking the first hammer blow in forging the ‘newest cutting edge’ of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in terms of territorial defense,” The PMC Commandant added.
The Philippines Department of National Defense (DND) had formally signed a contract to acquire Indian-made BrahMos medium-range ramjet supersonic cruise missiles last January. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and BrahMos Aerospace Director-General Atul Dinkar Rane inked the deal in a virtual ceremony at the DND headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City. The defence deal was worth PHP18.9 billion
Brahmos Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Atul Dinkar Rane exclusively told IADB: “We whole-heartedly congratulate the Philippine Marine Corps, led by Commandant Major General Nestor C Henco PN(M), for the activation of the PMC’s first Shore Based Anti-Ship Missile battalion on 3 April 2022, the SBASM Battalion will provide an unparalleled capability for the PMC to immensely bolster and safeguard the nation’s maritime sovereignty and integrity. BrahMos Aerospace expresses its appreciation and gratitude to the Government of the Philippines for deciding to acquire the BrahMos weapon system and stands committed to providing all support to defend the national interest of the Republic of Philippines.”
The Philippines will acquire three batteries of the BrahMos cruise missiles under the Indo-Filipino defence contract. Lorenzana views that the BrahMos cruise missiles would significantly beef up the PN’s firepower capabilities, especially the PMC’s Coast Defense Regiment. He explained that the BrahMos cruise missile system would provide counter-attack capabilities within the Philippine exclusive economic zone (EEZ) “As the world’s fastest supersonic cruise missiles, the BrahMos missiles will provide deterrence against any attempt to undermine our sovereignty and sovereign rights, especially in the West Philippine Sea,” Lorenzana said.
The BrahMos cruise missile can be launched from a multitude of delivery options ranging from ships, aircraft, and submarines all the way to land. The missiles have a top speed of around Mach 2.8 (around 3,400 km. per hour) and can carry warheads weighing 200 to 300 kilograms.
‘BrahMos Deal: Gamechanger Against A Hostile Dragon
Philippines based South Asian defence industry analyst, Miguel Miranda exclusively told IADB about the significance of this development in the Manila’s coastal security context taking into account the broader geopolitical scenario: “When one takes the long view, the Republic of the Philippines has never enjoyed the benefit of robust coastal defences…unless you consider manually loaded 40mm Bofors guns and World War two vintage howitzers as coastal defences. It doesn’t help that for 30 years, the inventory of the Philippine Air Force degraded to nothing.
“Given the present difficulties with China, outwardly a helping neighbour but realistically a long-term threat, the Armed Forces of the Philippines needs all the assets it can afford on a shoestring budget. This is especially urgent when China’s navy and coast guard have almost unrestricted movement inside the Philippines EEZ.The BrahMos is a win for India and the Philippines. In the latter case, genuine deterrence exists, albeit on a modest scale. Fortifying the entire country versus a perceived naval threat is difficult to comprehend as the costs involved are unlimited. So in the realistic scale of minimum deterrence, the BrahMos is an ideal choice,” explained the Filipino analyst.
For India and BrahMos Aerospace, particularly the Philippines, is the best partner imaginable–a friend in need and all that jazz. But to assure future success, India’s foreign ministry and its military industries must have a strong presence in Manila and be attuned to the government’s ideas and national security. This is the only way to have a chance versus the deeply entrenched influence of the USA over the Philippine government,” he concluded in his assesment.
