India Signs BrahMos Missile Deal with Vietnam:
The Defence Secretary said at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore that India has signed a BrahMos missile deal with Vietnam, while a similar agreement with Indonesia is in the final stages following a March 2026 agreement.
- The Philippines was the first foreign buyer, signing a contract worth nearly $375 million in 2022, highlighting India’s export of the missile system in Southeast Asia.\
- India shares advanced defence technologies with countries it regards as friendly partners, including ASEAN nations, emphasizing trust and strategic alignment.
- Several ASEAN members, including the Philippines and Vietnam, have overlapping maritime claims with China in the South China Sea, making BrahMos exports significant for regional defence partnerships.
- Shangri-La Dialogue is an important annual inter-governmental security forum held in Singapore. It brings together defence ministers, military officials and strategic experts to discuss Indo-Pacific and global security issues.
BrahMos Missile:
- The BrahMos missile is a supersonic cruise missile jointly developed by India and Russia, integrating Indian guidance and control systems with Russian propulsion technology for high performance and reliability. Its name is derived from the Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers.
- BrahMos was inducted into the Navy in 2005, the Indian Army in 2007, and first successfully launched from an IAF Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter in 2017.
- It is land, air, sea, and submarine-launched, with multiple versions featuring extended ranges and evolving onboard sensing capabilities, making it versatile across operational domains.
- The missile travels at supersonic speeds of around Mach 2.8–3, enabling rapid engagement of targets.
