BrahMos Goes Global — The Export Pipeline After the Philippines Deal

The US$375 million Philippines contract signed in January 2022 delivered three shore-based anti-ship BrahMos batteries to the Philippine Marine Corps, with the first battery handed over in April 2024. It was India's first major export of a complex weapon system.

The pipeline

• Indonesia has negotiated a deal reported at around US$450 million for ship-launched and coastal variants.
• Vietnam has held long-running discussions, complicated by its dependence on Russian financing terms.
• Middle East and Latin America — the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Brazil have all been briefed; export approval requires the consent of both India and Russia under the joint venture.

Why BrahMos sells

At Mach 2.8 to 3, BrahMos gives a defender a very short reaction window; its sea-skimming terminal phase and 200 to 300 kg warhead make it a ship-killer with few peers. Extended-range versions now reach 450 to 800 km. It is combat-proven in Indian service across land, sea and air platforms, including the 2.5-tonne air-launched version on the Su-30MKI.

BrahMos-NG: the real growth product

The Next Generation variant halves the weight to about 1.3 tonnes, shrinks the length to 6 metres and keeps the speed. It fits the Tejas, MiG-29, Rafale and Su-30 — five per Sukhoi instead of one. Manufacturing is set up at the Lucknow facility in the UP Defence Corridor, inaugurated in 2024 with a planned output of 80 to 100 missiles a year. For export customers flying smaller aircraft, NG is the version that opens the market.

Constraints

Russia's share of components — the ramjet and seeker heritage — is being indigenised, but any export still needs Moscow's nod. Sanctions exposure of buyers, financing terms and integration on non-Indian platforms are the practical limits.

Full specifications: BrahMos. Related: Pinaka, India's first artillery export.