Another batch of BrahMos cruise missiles is set to be delivered to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. announced yesterday.
The defense chief made the confirmation after Indian media reported that the second of three ordered BrahMos batteries is now being shipped to the Philippines.
“These are on the way and we will do what is needed so that these are used properly,” he said during an ambush interview at the EDSA Shangri-la Hotel in Mandaluyong City.
“Those are from the previous order and already scheduled for delivery,” Teodoro added.
He was referring to a PHP 18.8 billion contract signed in January 2022 between the Department of National Defense (DND) and India-Russia joint venture BrahMos Aerospace.
Deployment sites as well as storage facilities for the medium-range supersonic cruise missile system have already been prepared, he said.
A single BrahMos battery typically includes three to six launchers, along with monitoring and tracking equipment and logistics support vehicles.
The first battery was delivered in April 2022, but the DND and the AFP have yet to provide updates on its operational status.
The BrahMos cruise missile, capable of being launched from ships, aircraft, submarines, or land platforms, has a top speed of Mach 2.8 (approximately 3,400 km/h) and can carry warheads weighing 200 to 300 kilograms.
This missile system is expected to enhance the Philippines’ military capabilities in sea control, anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) strategies, and coastal and island defense operations.
Meanwhile, Teodoro said the Philippine government has yet to receive a formal proposal from the United States regarding the potential sale of Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter jets.
“We are still to receive any formal offer or proposal up to now,” he said
Shortly after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s Manila visit, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency disclosed that the Philippine government had requested 16 F-16C Block 70/72 fighter jets and four F-16D Block 70/72 aircraft.
As this developed, Philippine troops were oriented and briefed by their US counterparts on the capabilities of the Avenger Air Defense System, which is considered to be the premier “shoot-on-move” US air defense platform.
In a statement on Tuesday, the AFP said the orientation was made through a “subject matter expert exchange” that took place at the Naval Education, Training and Doctrine Command in San Antonio, Zambales.
It focused on familiarizing soldiers with the system for shooting down aerial targets, particularly its primary armament, the FIM-92 Stinger missile.
The Avenger, a highly mobile, short-range air defense system, integrates eight ready-to-fire Stinger missiles mounted on a Humvee, providing rapid target engagement against low-flying aircraft, helicopters, and unmanned aerial systems.
The Stinger missile, known for its infrared homing guidance and fire-and-forget capability, allows operators to quickly neutralize aerial threats with high precision.
“This exchange strengthens tactical synchronization, enhances combined operational readiness, and demonstrates the enduring interoperability and mutual commitment of both forces to regional security and defense preparedness,” the AFP said.
The AFP earlier welcomed the deployment of advanced U.S. weapons systems in the ongoing “Balikatan” 2025 exercises, describing it as a significant step in enhancing joint training and supporting the country’s military modernization efforts.
AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said the inclusion of the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS), the Medium Range Capability Typhon (MRC), and the Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS) in this year’s drills will help improve interoperability and operational readiness.
“Balikatan” 2025 started on April 21 and will end on May 9. It is the 40th iteration of the annual exercise between Filipino and American military units.