Weeks after India delivered its maiden order of the BrahMos missiles to the Philippines, an archipelagic state in Southeast Asia, another country from the same region, Vietnam, is showing keen interest in procuring the widely acclaimed weapons system from the world's largest democratic state.
Recently, a Vietnamese delegation led by Senior Lieutenant General Phung Si Tan, Vietnam People's Army (VPA) Deputy Chief, showed keen interest in the BrahMos missile and its different variants during his visit to the BrahMos pavilion at a defense expo in Malaysia.
Against this backdrop, Indian Air Force veteran Vijainder K. Thakur underlined that the ability of the Brahmos missile to fly at high supersonic speed and very low altitudes practically rules out timely radar detection and engagement by adversary air defense systems.
He explained that the high supersonic speed of the missile makes its 200-300 kg warhead more destructive than warheads twice the size fitted on other missiles.
"Furthermore, the Onyx missile, a BrahMos analog, has proven very effective in Russia's Special Military Operation in Ukraine," Thakur told Sputnik India on Monday.
This has ignited huge interest in the BrahMos, especially among Southeast Asian nations, which includes Vietnam.
How Vietnam Could Gain From BrahMos Missile's Induction?
But what's significant from Vietnam's perspective is that the BrahMos missile is being upgraded - from its range to its weight - all being fine-tuned as per the operational requirements of ground troops, navies, and air forces - both for India's defense forces and the rocket's buyers abroad.
"Moreover, tweaks to the Brahmos airframe and software will ensure that the missile will likely remain a threat to ships of enemy nations," Thakur underlined.
For instance, Russia is believed to have improved the ramjet engine of the missile to power its Zircon hypersonic missile.
"The DRDO is known to be working on a similar project - Brahmos-2," the defense expert concluded.