The Philippines' Brahmos supersonic cruise missiles from India

China should be reminded and strongly forewarned to immediately stop bombarding our vessels with water cannons. We may respond with supersonic cruise missiles to test the effectiveness of these new weapons that the Philippines purchased from India. We have long suffered and tolerated China's cavalier bullying tactics against our small vessels. Now, the Philippine eagle is ready to fight the Chinese dragon. And we have allies from all directions.

In the eyes of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, the Philippines is just a tiny speck compared to the giant territory and military might of China. But he should reflect deeply and ponder on China's next move. The Philippines has a Mutual Defense Treaty with the US, the only nation in the whole world with a bigger and more robust economy, a stronger military, and a much bigger national defense and military budget than both China and Russia. China should always remember that the Philippines is not alone. It has mutual defense and security arrangements and treaties of cooperation with Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.

But China should always remember that the enemy of your enemy is your friend. India is now an enemy of China also due to China's incursions into India's northern territories. Therefore India is logically the Philippines new friend. The decision of India to enter into a military deal with us was not "pro bono" or "gratis et amore". Our country is paying no less than $375 million for this unprecedented arms deal with the only country in the world that now has a bigger population than China. India is the world's biggest democracy while China is the biggest communist country on earth.

On January 28, 2022 during the Duterte presidency, our country signed a deal with India through its Brahmos Aerospace Private, Ltd., India's joint venture with Russia's DRDO. From that time on, Philippine government and military technical experts were undergoing intensive training on the operation, maintenance, and upkeep of Brahmos. Last April 19, the first delivery of supersonic cruise missiles arrived in

Manila. This delivery has boosted the morale of the Filipinos and the military officers and men, given the escalating tensions in the West Philippine Sea.

China should be forewarned that what we have acquired is a two-stage missile with a strong and solid propellant booster engine. The first stage shall bring the missile to supersonic speed faster than sound and then get separated. The second stage operating on a liquid ramjet takes the missile closer to three times the speed of sound on cruise phase. What is unique and more powerful in this weapon is that it has a very low and hazy radar visibility and therefore can be deployed stealthily while achieving a variety of multiple and contemporaneous trajectories. This is one type of "fire and forget'' missile that is capable of causing massive and devastating damage to enemies.

India will deliver the rest of the shipments and it will pass through the South China Sea, a major portion of which should be exclusively named the West Philippine Sea. China should never forget that its water cannons are no match for our Brahmos. The Chinese navy and coast guards should learn good manners and the fundamentals of the UNCLOS convention. They cannot bully the Philippines anymore.