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How BrahMos Missiles & Prachand Helicopters to Elevate Philippine Combat Power

The Philippines signed a $375 million deal for three units of the BrahMos missile with New Delhi in January 2022 and is on the verge of acquiring the South Asian country's multirole attack helicopter Prachand from the state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
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A former naval officer associated with the Philippine Navy has said that the deployment of the BrahMos missiles and the procurement of the Prachand helicopters from India will give a fillip to the Southeast Asian country's Armed forces as they will become more combat-ready with the arrival of these weapons platforms.
It is important to note that the Philippines does not possess a supersonic anti-ship missile at present, meaning the BrahMos, which is the world's fastest missile, will provide it with a top-of-the-line projectile for both defensive and offensive purposes.

A Strategic Deterrent That Manila Lacked in the Past

Moreover, with a range of 290 km, the BrahMos will act as a "strategic deterrent" for Manila's adversaries, particularly when many military experts across the globe have acknowledged that intercepting the Indo-Russian missile is next to impossible.

"The Brahmos provides the Philippines with a ground-based anti-ship capability that it sorely lacks," Rear Admiral (Retd) Jose Renan Suarez, who was associated with the archipelagic state's Navy for 34 years, said in a conversation with Sputnik India.

However, the ecosystem for detecting, identifying, tracking, targeting, and neutralizing threats needs to be developed, he added.
The arrival of the BrahMos is significant for Manila, given the country's tense equation with Asian giant China over claims and counter-claims on the territorial waters of the South China Sea.
The BrahMos missiles were to land in the Philippines from India a few months ago, but their delivery was delayed as deployment sites in the Southeast Asian sovereign state were not ready.
Apart from the BrahMos missile, the Philippines is closely pursuing a deal with New Delhi for the procurement of its domestically produced Prachand helicopters.
India's indigenous light combat helicopter Prachand performs aerobatic maneuvers during the inauguration of the Aero India 2023 at Yelahanka air base in Bengaluru, India, Monday, Feb. 13, 2023.

Prachand to Become the Go-to-Platform For the Philippine Air Force's Close Combat Missions

Prachand, the world's only attack helicopter capable of flying above 16,000 feet, is equipped with a wide array of weapons, including air-to-surface and air-to-air missiles, to carry out a variety of combat missions in mountainous terrain as well as extremely hot weather conditions found in deserts.
Recently, HAL chief CB Ananthakrishnan revealed that talks with the Philippines for an export order of the Prachand helicopters were in advanced stages.
Suarez acknowledged that Prachand's acquisition from India would give a big boost to the Philippine Air Force's capability to conduct close attacks or raids during counter-insurgency operations.
"The Prachand can be a go-to platform for the air force's close attack requirements if the needed weapons load-outs are available and easily replenishable," he noted.
The retired Philippine naval officer underlined that these weapons systems would fill gaps in the operational requirements of the country's defense forces, thus bolstering their ability to carry out a wide range of missions within the country and outside its borders.
Previously, an Indian Army veteran, Major General (Retd) Sanjay Soi, reckoned that the Prachand could become a boon for the Philippine military, considering the helicopter's versatile nature.
"The Prachand helicopter is capable of supporting the Filipino Defense Forces in their various missions - defending their large-chain islands, carrying out anti-infantry roles, conducting counter-insurgency operations, and supporting their ground troops and the Air Force during combat missions during a conflict," Soi explained.
"As it is very effective against tanks, Prachand can also be inducted in their armored corps," he summed up.
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