BrahMos goes East: India set to seal $450 million missile deals with Indonesia, Vietnam

India has moved closer to finalising export agreements for BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles with Vietnam and Indonesia, with the combined value of the proposed deals estimated at over $450 million. According to a media report, the progress follows confirmation from Russia—India’s joint partner in developing the missile system—that it has no objection to the precision-strike weapon being supplied to the two countries.

As reported by The Times of India, the assurance was conveyed during a delegation-level meeting between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Russian counterpart Andrei Belousov on December 4. A formal no-objection certificate from Moscow is now awaited. The BrahMos missile can travel at nearly three times the speed of sound, reaching Mach 2.8.

As per the report, Defence sources said that both Vietnam and Indonesia, after finalising the initial agreements, may place additional orders in the future. Once the deals are signed, the two nations will join the Philippines as ASEAN buyers of the air-breathing missile. India had earlier signed a $375 million contract in January 2022 to supply three anti-ship BrahMos coastal defence batteries to the Philippines, which is also expected to place further orders, the report said.

Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines share concerns over China’s assertive actions and expansion in the South China Sea, where tensions—particularly between Manila and Beijing—have intensified in recent years, the report states. India has also operationally deployed BrahMos missiles, whose range has been extended from 290 km to 450 km, from Sukhoi-30MKI fighter aircraft for deep precision strikes inside Pakistan during Operation Sindoor in May.

The Indian armed forces have signed contracts worth around ₹60,000 crore with BrahMos Aerospace, the Indo-Russian joint venture behind the missile system, which has emerged as the primary conventional precision-strike weapon for the Indian Air Force, Navy and Army, as per the report. India plans to begin inducting an extended-range 800 km version of the missile from 2028, with tests underway for the upgraded variant featuring a modified ramjet engine and other enhancements.

Beyond BrahMos, India is also looking to export indigenous defence systems such as the Akash air defence missile, capable of intercepting hostile aircraft, helicopters, drones and subsonic cruise missiles within a 25-km range, and the Pinaka multi-launch rocket system. These platforms are being offered to Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines, as well as other friendly countries including the UAE and Brazil, it reported.

Although India remains among the world’s top three arms importers, the country exported arms, ammunition, defence sub-systems and components worth nearly ₹24,000 crore to about 80 countries during the 2024–25 financial year. Armenia has emerged as one of India’s largest buyers of finished weapon systems, including Akash air defence missiles, Pinaka rocket systems and 155-mm artillery guns, according to the report.