India moves toward $450 million BrahMos export deals with Vietnam and Indonesia

Key facts

• India has moved closer to inking deals to export BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to Vietnam and Indonesia, which collectively will be worth over Rs 4,000 crore ($450 million).
• Russia, the joint developer of BrahMos missiles, has assured India that it has no objection to the precision-strike weapon being sold to Vietnam and Indonesia.
• The assurance was given during the delegation-level meeting between defence minister Rajnath Singh and his Russian counterpart Andrei Belousov on Dec 4.
• Once the deals are inked, Vietnam and Indonesia will become the other ASEAN countries after the Philippines to buy the air-breathing missiles.
• India had inked a $375 million contract to supply three anti-ship BrahMos coastal batteries to the Philippines in Jan 2022.
• India successfully deployed the BrahMos missiles, whose range has been increased to 450 km from the original 290 km, from Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jets during Operation Sindoor in May.
• India also plans to begin inducting the new 800-km BrahMos from 2028 onwards, with tests currently underway for the extended-range missiles.
• India wants to sell the indigenous Akash air defence missile systems and Pinaka multi-launch rocket systems to the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, UAE, and Brazil.