By A Correspondent

New Delhi: India is targeting BrahMos missile exports of more than $630 million, with sales to Southeast Asian nations such as the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia, expanding the foreign customer base to the neighbouring region. Giving his estimates of BrahMos exports, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, in a media interview released on Thursday (October 1, 2026) said the supersonic cruise missile was setting a benchmark for India’s sophisticated weapon exports to friendly foreign nations.

Revealing that Indian revenue from BrahMos exports to the Philippines is around $330 million, Rajesh Kumar Singh said the initial exports to Vietnam would fetch about $100 million in revenue and the deliveries to Indonesia around $200 million, taking the combined figure to roughly $630 million.

He, however, did not provide any delivery schedules under the Vietnam and Indonesia deals, or the configurations of the BrahMos missile systems that the two nations signed up for with India. The BrahMos export revenue projected by the Indian defence secretary does not include the missile systems already delivered to the Philippines.

Singh credited the export orders for the India-Russia joint venture missile system to its performance during Operation Sindoor against Pakistan in May 2025, and referred to the supersonic cruise missile’s combat capabilities and its air-launch capability from the Russian-origin Sukhoi Su-30 fighter aircraft, which could attract more foreign customers.

The Philippines provided the foundation for BrahMos’s overseas expansion when it signed a shore-based anti-ship missile contract on January 28, 2022. Valued at approximately $374.96 million, the package covered three missile batteries, operator training and integrated logistics support for the Philippine armed forces.

That original contract value is distinct from the approximately $330 million in deliveries cited by Singh in his latest interview. The first consignment arrived in April 2024, giving Manila a new coastal strike capability as it pursued military modernization amid tensions with China in the South China Sea.

For coastal defence, a shore-based anti-ship system allows forces operating from land to threaten hostile vessels approaching protected waters. The Philippine purchase therefore illustrates how BrahMos can support maritime deterrence without requiring the buyer to acquire a new fleet of missile-carrying warships.

BrahMos is the product of an India-Russia joint venture established in 1998, rather than an exclusively Indian development programme. Its name combines the Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers, reflecting the partnership behind a weapon that has subsequently been adapted for different launch platforms and missions.

According to BrahMos Aerospace’s technical description, the missile uses a solid-fuel booster followed by a liquid-fuel ramjet, reaching approximately Mach 2.8 during its cruise phase. Its supersonic speed reduces the time available for a defending force to detect, track, and respond to an incoming attack, although operational effectiveness also depends on targeting information and the defences encountered.

The manufacturer lists both anti-ship and land-attack capabilities, with ship-based, mobile land-based and air-launched configurations. The Philippine export package was reported to have a range of 290 kilometres, a specification that should be distinguished from the extended-range versions developed for Indian requirements.

The air-launched programme reached a significant milestone on November 22, 2017, when BrahMos was successfully tested from an Indian Air Force Su-30MKI against a sea target in the Bay of Bengal. Integrating the missile with a fighter aircraft added another launch option alongside its land and naval configurations, widening its operational applications.

Interest has also extended beyond Southeast Asia, although discussions should be distinguished from completed orders. Reuters reported in June this year that India was in early-stage talks with the United Arab Emirates over BrahMos and other defence systems, citing Indian sources; it also reported that a BrahMos sale would require Russian approval.

The missile’s overseas expansion comes against a wider increase in Indian military exports, which reached ₹38,424 crore in the financial year 2025–26. Defence ministry figures show a rise of ₹14,802 crore, or 62.66 per cent, from ₹23,622 crore in the preceding year.

Public sector defence enterprises contributed ₹21,071 crore to the total, while private companies accounted for ₹17,353 crore. India exported defence equipment to more than 80 countries, and the number of exporters rose from 128 to 145, indicating that the expansion extends beyond a handful of prominent missile deals.

The Philippines contract’s inclusion of training and logistics support also shows that exporting a complex weapon involves more than supplying missiles and launchers. As BrahMos adds customers, reliable deliveries, maintenance, and sustained support will matter alongside the weapon’s performance in converting initial purchases into lasting defence relationships.

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