DSA 2024: BrahMos eyes cruise missile export to Southeast Asia

BrahMos Aerospace showcased a scaled version of the Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet armed with three BrahMos cruise missiles at the DSA 2024 exhibition. (Janes/Kapil Kajal)

BrahMos Aerospace – a joint venture (JV) between India and Russia – has outlined its plans to export its supersonic cruise missiles to Southeast Asian countries at the Defence Services Asia (DSA) 2024 exhibition held in Kuala Lumpur from 6 to 9 May.

Speaking with Janes at the show, a spokesperson for BrahMos Aerospace said the company has offered its cruise missiles to countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam.

“We [BrahMos Aerospace] are in talks with all these countries, and they have shown good interest in the missile,” the spokesperson added.

Janes understands that Malaysia and Indonesia are looking to procure air-launched variants of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile to arm their Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets.

Vietnam plans to procure the shore-based anti-ship missile version of the BrahMos to counter the Chinese aggression in the South China Sea.

The spokesperson confirmed that BrahMos Aerospace has initiated the delivery of the BrahMos system to the Philippines.

The Philippines signed a USD375 million contract with BrahMos Aerospace in 2022 to procure three shore-based anti-ship missile systems.

Without providing much detail, the spokesperson said the delivery is “well within the timeframe”.

A land-based BrahMos missile system comprises at least three mobile firing units, a mobile command-and-control vehicle, a radar, and support vehicles. A mobile firing unit can fire three missiles, each of which can strike the target at a maximum distance of 290 km.

According to the BrahMos specification, the missile can cruise at a maximum altitude of 15 km between a speed of Mach 2.5 and Mach 2.8.