Indonesia eyes additional BrahMos missile batteries as PM Modi heads to Jakarta
New Delhi, July 4. India and Indonesia are expected to discuss the possible acquisition of additional BrahMos supersonic cruise missile systems during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s three-day visit to Indonesia beginning July 6, signalling growing defence cooperation between the two maritime partners.
Citing sources, The Tribune reported that Jakarta is keen to expand its planned procurement beyond the single BrahMos missile battery envisaged under a preliminary framework agreement concluded in March this year. A BrahMos battery typically comprises missile launchers, surveillance radars and the missiles themselves.
The proposed sale builds on discussions held during the India-Indonesia Defence Cooperation Dialogue in New Delhi in November last year, when Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hosted Indonesian Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin.
Following the signing of the preliminary arrangement in March, Indonesian Defence Ministry spokesperson Rico Ricardo Sirait described the planned acquisition as part of Jakarta’s efforts to modernise its military hardware and strengthen defence capabilities, particularly in the maritime domain.
According to sources, the two sides are currently working on a phased procurement plan centred on the export version of the BrahMos missile, which has a strike range of 290 km in line with Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) guidelines governing missile exports.
New Delhi has also proposed the establishment of a Joint Defence Industry Cooperation Committee to facilitate collaboration in areas such as technology transfer, joint research and development, and defence industrial cooperation. Indonesia is understood to be exploring financing options through one of its domestic banks to support the purchase.
If finalised, Indonesia would become the third Southeast Asian country to acquire the BrahMos system after the Philippines and Vietnam, both of which have territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea.
The Philippines signed a $375-million agreement for BrahMos coastal defence missile batteries in 2022, with deliveries commencing in 2024. The shore-based systems are designed to engage hostile naval vessels at long distances.
Vietnam is also reportedly moving ahead with plans to procure the missile system under a deal estimated to be worth around $620 million. The package is expected to include mobile coastal defence batteries, operator training and long-term maintenance and logistics support.
Although Indonesia is not a claimant in the South China Sea disputes, it shares maritime boundaries with the contested waters through areas near the Natuna Islands and has increasingly focused on strengthening its maritime deterrence capabilities.
The export of advanced “fire-and-forget” supersonic missile systems such as the BrahMos to Southeast Asian nations reflects India’s growing willingness to share high-end defence technologies with regional partners. The move is also consistent with New Delhi’s broader strategy of supporting maritime security, enhancing regional resilience and building trusted defence supply chains across the Indo-Pacific.
Developed through a joint venture established in 1998 between India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya, the BrahMos remains the world’s only operational supersonic cruise missile in its class, capable of travelling at nearly three times the speed of sound.
