This photo from the Philippine Marine Corps Facebook page shows personnel of the Marines’ Shore Based Anti-Ship Missile Battalion on June 22, 2022 as they prepare to leave for training in India. ABS-CBN News/File

MANILA — Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Wednesday confirmed that the Philippines was set to receive a second batch of BrahMos missiles from India.

“Parating na ito at aming gagawin ang kailangan natin para magamit ito nang tama,” Teodoro told reporters in Mandaluyong City.

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India’s English language newspaper, The New Indian Express, earlier reported that India has sent the second batch of the supersonic cruise missile systems to the Philippines, just a year after the first delivery was completed.

“The first battery was sent in April 2024 in an IAF [Indian Air Force] aircraft, with support coming from civilian aircraft agencies,” The New Indian Express said on Monday. 

“The second battery of the missile has been sent in a ship this time,” it added.

The BrahMos missile system has a range of 290 kilometers to 400 kilometers and a velocity of Mach 2.8 or about three times faster than the speed of sound.

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It can be launched from ships, submarines, planes and land platforms.

“‘Yan ay dating order. Talagang may parating naman. Na-order nga ito ngunit kung saan ito ilalagay at saan ito ii-store ay hindi pa nakahanda nun at aming ipinahabol at inihanda,” Teodoro said. 

The Philippines, which signed the agreement with India in 2022, will receive a total of three BrahMos missile batteries worth P18.9 billion.

NMESIS AND BRAHMOS 

The Armed Forces of the Philippines will test the interoperability of the United States Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) missile launcher with the BrahMos missiles in this year’s Balikatan exercises.

The NMESIS is a high mobile coastal anti-ship missile with the ability to strike hostile surface vessels from land-based positions.

Col. Doug Krugman, staff officer of the 1st Marine expeditionary Force of the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and senior exercise planner for Balikatan 2025, said the NMESIS and BrahMos have similar capabilities.

“The Armed Forces of the Philippines has recently acquired the BrahMos coastal defense missile system, and the NMESIS is a similar capability so we’re working to ensure interoperability,” Krugman said in a televised interview.

“I think it’s natural to bring alike capability to exercise alongside the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” he added.

Both the NMESIS and BrahMos are intended for coastal defense.

“We are also looking at capability that we did not have before. With the presence of the NMESIS, we are also intending to train that in conjunction with the BrahMos, with our BrahMos missile system. These are capabilities that will expand our reach beyond our territorial waters,” Balikatan assistant exercise director and spokesperson B/Gen. Michael Logico said.

The Balikatan exercise kicked off on Monday and would run until May 9.

Logico said around 14,000 personnel were participating in the drills, including 5,000 from the AFP and 9,000 from the US Armed Forces.

Several partner nations also contributed smaller contingents, including Australia, United Kingdom, France, Japan and South Korea.

Personnel from 16 countries were participating as international observers.

The 40th iteration of the Balikatan will involve a “full scale battle test” across different locations in the country.

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