Following the Philippines, Indonesia will be the second Asean nation to buy Indian-made missiles.
Another export order for the shore-based anti-ship BrahMos cruise missile before year’s end will give India’s Act East Policy a boost. To Military Cognizance, sources have confirmed The Indo-Russian BrahMos supersonic cruise missile is being exported, and talks with Indonesia are far along. However, due to domestic issues in that nation, it is anticipated that the deal will be finalised by year’s end or the beginning of the following year.
Indonesia will purchase missiles from India, joining the Philippines as the second Asean nation to do so.
In 2018, it was revealed for the first time that Indonesia was one of the nations in the area to have indicated interest in the BrahMos Missile.
Earlier this year, India and the Philippines signed a contract worth USD 374.96 million for the sale of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile’s shore-based anti-ship variant. As a result, the Philippines became the first Asean nation to buy Indian-made missiles.
The Indonesian navy will equip its vessels with the BrahMos missile that Indonesia is anticipated to buy from India. In order to investigate the viability of mounting the missile, a delegation from the joint venture BrahMos Aerospace between New Delhi and Moscow has previously visited a shipyard in Indonesia.
According to the manufacturer, the BrahMos is a short-range ramjet supersonic cruise missile that can be fired from submarines, ships, aeroplanes, and land platforms. And this missile is capable of flying at 2.8 Mach, which is three times the speed of sound.
Other nations in the area, such as Malaysia, which is about to announce its final choice to purchase Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, are also interested in the BrahMos, which was developed at a low cost of $300 million.
Earlier, Financial Express Online had stated that Vietnam and India were in talks over selling each other BrahMos and Akash missiles. BrahMos missile negotiations are also ongoing, albeit they are still in the early stages.
The agreement with Indonesia, which is anticipated to be finalised by year’s end or early next year, will offer India a strategic foothold in the area and improve its economy.
The Russian side first announced the sale of the BrahMos missile to the Philippines in New Delhi. Russia won’t object to exporting to Indonesia because it already provides that nation with Kilo Class submarines and Su-27 fighter planes.
India and Indonesian Military Coordination
Over time, there has been a strengthening of the two nations’ bilateral ties. In India’s “Act East” policy, Indonesia is regarded as a key ally. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited that nation in 2018, Financial Express Online announced that the two nations’ bilateral relations have been upgraded to a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.”
Defense and security cooperation, as well as marine security, form the foundation of this collaboration. And the first-ever bilateral exercise “Samudra Shakti” between the Indian and Indonesian navies took held in 2018. This first exercise’s main objectives were to improve interoperability, increase marine cooperation, and share best practises.
India and Indonesia are neighbours in the Indian Ocean Littoral and have been attempting to improve their military ties.
Both India and Indonesia are seeking to strengthen maritime cooperation and guarantee secure water lanes of communication in the larger Indo-Pacific in light of the growing Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and its actions close the Natuna Islands.
