New Delhi: India and Indonesia have inched closer to striking a deal for the procurement of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile with both countries focusing on working out the financial aspects and phased-wise procurement plan of Jakarta, ThePrint has learnt.
The BrahMos sale figures high during the third India-Indonesia Defence Ministers’ Dialogue between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his visiting Indonesia counterpart Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin.
Interestingly, Singh also gifted a model of the BrahMos missile to Sjamsoeddin.
ThePrint has also learnt that the Indonesia delegation led by the defence minister visited the BrahMos facility earlier in the day and met with the top officials and undertook a detailed briefing on the missile system.
Sources in the know said that the deal was under discussion for long and now finer aspects are being finalised.
ThePrint had in February reported that India is likely to seal a BrahMos deal with another foreign country this year.
Once the deal is inked, Indonesia will become the second country to buy the BrahMos missile besides Philippines which has procured three batteries in 2022.
The sources explained that all export versions of the BrahMos come with a ceiling of 290 km range.
Capable of both coastal defence and ground attack besides anti-ship roles, the BrahMos is the only supersonic cruise missile in the world that flies at three times the speed of sound. It is the product of a joint venture between India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya in 1998.
India is working on a 1,500-km range version of the BrahMos system that can be launched from land, water or air. The current range of the existing BrahMos missiles in India’s arsenal has been increased to 450 km and work is on to increase it further to 800 km.
The missile has a maximum speed of 2.8 Mach (around 3,450 kmph), and is difficult to intercept by surface-to-air missiles currently deployed on warships across the world. It also has an immense ability to evade various radars.
Other core areas
India and Indonesia reiterated the importance of maintaining a free, open, peaceful, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific, guided by international law and respect for sovereignty.
Noting that the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific and India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative share relevant fundamental principles, Indonesia reiterated that India remains a key partner in promoting peace and cooperation in the region, a statement by the Ministry of Defence said.
It added that both sides agreed to enhance cooperation through multilateral frameworks such as Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) under India’s chairmanship. Both countries committed to enhancing practical cooperation in maritime domain awareness, cyber resilience, and joint operational readiness, the statement said.
Indonesia appreciated India’s proposal to establish a Joint Defence Industry Cooperation Committee to further strengthen collaboration in areas such as technology transfer, joint R&D, certification harmonisation, and supply-chain linkages.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
Also Read: Why near-disaster BrahMos accident is an opportunity for India & Pakistan to discuss safety