India in final-stage talks to sell Philippines about 60 more BrahMos missiles

Final-stage talks

Three sources with direct knowledge of the negotiations told Reuters that the Philippines expects to buy about five BrahMos systems, nearly 60 missiles in total. Two of the Indian sources put the potential deal at $700 million to $800 million. The order would be the second and larger BrahMos purchase by Manila.

One Indian source said: "Manila has shown interest again to procure about five systems of the BrahMos and they now view India as a very reliable partner." India has not publicly confirmed the proposed agreement. Its defence and foreign ministries, as well as BrahMos Aerospace, did not respond to requests for comment.

A larger follow-on to the 2022 order

India sold the Philippines BrahMos for naval use for $375 million in 2022. Deliveries under that deal are nearing completion. At $700 million to $800 million, the proposed deal would be nearly double to more than double the 2022 order. The first contract marked India's entry into the international market for BrahMos exports.

The proposed purchase comes as Manila modernises its military and strengthens coastal defences amid rising tensions in the disputed South China Sea. The Philippines and China have clashed in those waters in recent years. The additional BrahMos procurement would add to Manila's existing missile capabilities under the 2022 agreement.

Manila's wish list

Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said at the Delhi Defence Dialogue on 4 November that Manila hoped to secure more BrahMos units. He said the Philippines had shared a wish list with Indian authorities to make the system more tailored to the Philippine environment.

Philippine defence ministry spokesperson Arsenio Andolong told Reuters that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr had expressed a desire to acquire additional BrahMos missiles. Andolong did not offer more details.

India's export push

BrahMos was developed jointly by India and Russia. It is a supersonic cruise missile that can be launched from land, naval vessels and aircraft, and is among the world's fastest cruise missiles.

Interest in the system increased after the four-day India-Pakistan conflict in 2025, when India used it in combat for the first time, Reuters reported. In July, India announced the supply of BrahMos missiles to Indonesia and signed a deal with Vietnam. It is in talks on the system with the UAE, Thailand, South Africa and Brazil.

India's defence exports for the fiscal year to March reached 384.24 billion rupees ($4.11 billion), a jump of more than 62 per cent from the same period the year before, government data showed. The figure covers all defence exports.