Philippines seeks bespoke BrahMos missiles from India for island defence

AI Summary

The Philippines is seeking to expand its purchase of Indian BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles and adapt them for local terrain and island defence. The move reflects Manila’s efforts to strengthen deterrence and diversify arms suppliers.

The Philippines wants to buy more of India’s BrahMos missiles and have them adapted to its terrain, in a move analysts say signals Manila’s search for alternative arms suppliers as the US remains entangled in its Middle East conflict. Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jnr told a security summit in New Delhi last week that his country hoped to expand on its 2022 purchase of the supersonic cruise arsenal to strengthen its external deterrence. Indian sources later told Reuters that...