Is Indonesia set to boost its defence with India’s BrahMos missiles after the Philippines deal?

India’s BrahMos Aerospace is set to make another significant defence deal with an ASEAN nation, as Indonesia is expected to sign an agreement for the purchase of BrahMos supersonic missiles. This comes after the successful sale and delivery of the missile system to the Philippines earlier, further boosting India’s defence exports and regional strategic ties.

A high-level Indonesian delegation, led by Maj. Gen. Yunianto from the National Resilience Institute of Indonesia, visited BrahMos Aerospace on Wednesday to discuss potential military cooperation. During the visit, Atul Dinkar Rane, CEO & MD of BrahMos Aerospace, provided the delegation with a detailed overview of the supersonic BrahMos missile and its capabilities.

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In an earlier conversation with Financial Express Online, on the potential deal, Rane stressed the uniqueness of the BrahMos missile system, stating, “We are at a very good stage. We are in business, so we don’t have any intent to lose hope from any business lead. All the countries know that this is the best weapon system in the whole world with best accuracy levels in supersonic speeds, giving no response time to the enemy.”

Indonesia, which has been modernizing its military, is particularly interested in the air-launched version of the BrahMos missile. As part of its broader defence strategy, Indonesia has been keen on acquiring advanced missile systems to enhance its territorial defence capabilities, especially in light of regional tensions in the South China Sea.

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Defence analysts believe that Indonesia’s interest in the BrahMos missile is driven by its need to deter regional threats. According to Prof Srikanth Kondapalli from Jawaharlal Nehru University, “In the case of both Indonesia and Vietnam, Russia is already selling SU-27 fighters and Kilo Class submarines to both countries. Indonesia is keen on the air version of BrahMos from India.”

India has been actively promoting the export of the BrahMos missile, a joint venture between India and Russia, to friendly nations. Russian officials have expressed no objection to India exporting the system to Indonesia and other countries, making the deal more feasible.

Should the deal with Indonesia materialize, it will further solidify India’s presence in the ASEAN defence market, following its successful BrahMos sale to the Philippines. This would also mark another step forward in India’s efforts to expand its defence exports, while deepening military cooperation with Southeast Asian nations.