INDIA SIGNS PACT WITH PHILIPPINES FOR SUPPLY OF BRAHMOS MISSILE

NEW DELHI : India and the Philippines have signed a key agreement to facilitate government-to-government deals on military hardware, including the potential supply of Brahmos cruise missiles.

The signing of the “implementing arrangement” for procuring of defence materials and equipment was announced by the department of national defense of the Philippines on its Facebook page.

The pact was signed by undersecretary Raymundo Elefante of the Philippines’ department of national defense and Indian ambassador Shambu Kumaran at Camp Aguinaldo, headquarters of the Filipino armed forces, on Tuesday.

Filipino defence secretary Delfin Lorenzana, who witnessed the signing ceremony, was quoted by The Straits Times as saying: “We are buying the Brahmos missiles.” He didn’t provide details of the procurement plans or a timeframe. Lorenzana said the agreement would serve as a guide for India and the Philippines on “policies and procedures in the defence procurement”.

HT had first reported last November that India and the Philippines are looking to sign an agreement on the Brahmos cruise missile this year, making the Southeast Asian country the first customer for the weapons system developed jointly by New Delhi and Moscow.

At the time, the two sides were working to sort out a few remaining issues for the deal to supply the missiles to the Philippines Army’s first Land Based Missile System Battery, people familiar with developments had said.

The actual agreement on the missiles is expected to be inked during a meeting of leaders of the two countries this year.

Indian ambassador Shambhu Kumaran and Brahmos Aerospace CEO Sudhir Mishra have recently visited the Philippine Army and Philippine Marines, the potential users of the Brahmos missiles, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported on Tuesday.