Southeast Asian Nations Step Up Interest in BrahMos Due to Superiority: Expert

Following the delivery of its cutting-edge supersonic cruise missile to the Philippines, BrahMos Aerospace is in talks with a number of prospective clients. For a while now, India and Thailand are in talks to purchase BrahMos missiles, according to the media.

On the first day of Defence Security 2023 at the IMPACT Exhibition Centre in Bangkok on Monday, Director (Market Promotion and Export) Praveen Pathak presented an update on the most recent improvements of the BrahMos weapon complex and BrahMos Pavilion to a high-level delegation led by Defence Minister of Thailand Sutin Klungsang.

At this backdrop, Sputnik India spoke with Air Vice Marshal Anil Golani (Retd), Additional Director General of Centre for Air Power Studies (CAPS), Dr. Temjenmeron Ao, Associate Fellow at Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) on the significance of BrahMos missiles to Southeast Asian nations, particularly Thailand.

Arms Race or India’s Net Security Provider?

In light of the ongoing arms race between China and the US, the Air Vice Marshal said, India is "positioning itself as a net security provider and, in many respects, a country that Southeast Asia can rely on more than the others”.

“Thailand's significance in Southeast Asia stems from its strategic location, large economy, and evolving threat landscape, which includes the adoption of non-state actors as adversaries instead of just State actors. Thailand's military strategies have changed as a result to protect its interests,” said Ao.

The Air Marshal stated that ‘BrahMos is well-known for its accuracy, its range, its proven capabilities, and its performance in several tests and trials conducted in India. The fact that BrahMos is a joint venture between India and Russia—a country renowned for its superior defensive hardware—is unavoidably an added benefit'.

Why are Southeast Asian Nations Interested in BrahMos?

“The BrahMos cruise missile is attractive to Thailand and other Southeast Asian nations due to its superiority over competing models. As a supersonic cruise missile, it can attack targets on the surface from a height of up to 15,000 metres. Its high speed provides it with superior target-penetration capabilities when compared to subsonic cruise missiles that are lighter, like the Tomahawk”, Ao noted.

BrahMos rocket (desk)

The Air Marshal mentioned that BrahMos, also known as PJ-10, is a medium-range supersonic cruise missile with ramjet propulsion that may be launched from fighter aircraft, submarines, ships, or any surface location. With respect to weapon systems, the BrahMos offers more flexibility and is the world's fastest supersonic cruise missile.”

In the same vein, Ao stated that the BrahMos missile system's price is currently not as competitive as other comparable systems, mostly due to India's less developed military-industrial base compared to other nations. Though BrahMos price would become more competitive as India's military-industrial complex grows, however, the cost of Indian cruise missiles in BrahMos should decrease with increased production.

Strategic Priorities or Geopolitical Shift?

“In terms of strategic priorities, relying on a partner or ally who is closer to you than one who is farther away, mostly because the closer ally would be able to respond more swiftly in an emergency…Another aspect is that India is a nation that avoids hostilities with other countries,” the Air Marshal stated.

Ao said that Indian cruise missiles, like the BrahMos, would help offer air defence systems over the tactical region by creating an air denial environment.

Is Unreliability a Benefit?

Likewise, the Air Marshal mentioned that Southeast Asia is cognizant of the US's unreliability as a partner, as demonstrated by its recent withdrawal from Afghanistan and Iraq and the chaos it left in its wake. This presents an opportunity for India to use the region to further establish its reputation as a net security provider in the region”

The choice to purchase BrahMos missiles from India, according to Ao, demonstrates that defence relations are at the pinnacle of bilateral cooperation and are predicated on a strong sense of mutual confidence, both of which are necessary for the transfer of any advanced and sophisticated military hardware.

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Thailand Increasing Interest in Superior BrahMos Missiles: Expert

Arms Race or India’s Net Security Provider?

Why are Southeast Asian Nations Interested in BrahMos?

Strategic Priorities or Geopolitical Shift?

Is Unreliability a Benefit?