The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile has no technical issues, India has assured the Philippines, after the archipelago, which has signed a roughly $375 million deal for the missiles, allegedly sought an explanation for the ‘accidental firing’ of a missile into Pakistan last month.
According to the Indian Express, Philippines Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana summoned Indian Ambassador Shambhu S Kumaran, who informed the senior official that there was no technical problem with the missile system developed by BrahMos Aerospace in India. Kumaran is also said to have assured Lorenzana that an investigation into the event is ongoing and that the findings will be shared with the appropriate authorities. While there has been some suspicion, there has been no official confirmation that the missile unintentionally launched was a BrahMos.
The unintentional fire on March 9 was regarded as ‘regrettable’ by India. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated in an address to Parliament on the unintended discharge of the missile during an inspection that a thorough high-level probe had been initiated to ascertain the exact cause of the occurrence. In the first-ever export purchase for BrahMos missiles, the Philippines inked a $374 million contract with BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd (BAPL) in January this year to deliver an unspecified number of missiles.
BAPL, a joint venture between India and Russia, manufactures the supersonic cruise missile BrahMos, which may be launched from submarines, ships, aeroplanes, or ground platforms. India has already deployed a significant number of BrahMos missiles and other important weapons along the Line of Actual Control with China in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh.
How Russia-Ukraine War affect the Philippines?
Addressing a webinar on ‘The Philippines: India’s New Indo-Pacific Partner,’ Indian Ambassador Kumaran stated that the sale of BrahMos to the Philippines will take place on a ‘bilateral basis,’ ruling out any impact from the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, the missile system’s co-developer.
He went on to say that the Philippines had been provided an explanation for the unintentional missile launch into Pakistan. ‘I had the opportunity to chat with Philippines Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana… There was a question, and we answered that, as far as we could see, there was no technical problem. There is an investigation happening, and we will clear it up as soon as the information is ready,’ Kumaran told The Hindu.
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