Indian Ambassador to the Philippines Shambhu Kumaran said India will soon deliver BrahMos cruise missiles to the Philippines as part of the purchase agreement signed during the Duterte administration.
“We are working towards the earliest possible arrival. I don’t have a timeline at this moment, but it’s going to be soon,” Kumaran in his speech during India’s Republic Day Celebration.
In January 2022, the Duterte administration through then-Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana signed a contract for the acquisition of a shore-based anti-ship missile system worth P18.9 billion.
Lorenzana then believed that the “BrahMos missiles will provide deterrence against any attempt to undermine the country’s sovereignty and sovereign rights, particularly in the West Philippine Sea.”
During his speech, Kumaran reiterated his country’s support for the Philippines on the West Philippine Sea issue.
“India stands shoulder to shoulder with our Filipino friends in working towards a shared objective of a peaceful and stable Indo-Pacific. We have and will continue to support each other in multilateral forums. We reject coercion and intimidation,” he declared.
According to him, INS Kadmatt, one of the Indian Navy’s anti-submarine warfare corvettes, is ready to help the country’s defense modernization program to improve the Philippines’ maritime defense capability.
India is also willing to conduct joint patrols with the Philippine Navy and other countries, he said.
“We have extensive training cooperation. We would like to see joint exercises between our navies. We hope that can happen soon,” Kumaran added.