Indonesia Signs BrahMos Missile Deal With India
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- Indonesia's defence ministry spokesperson Rico Ricardo Sirait told Reuters on March 9 that Jakarta has entered an agreement with India to procure BrahMos missiles, framing it as "part of the modernisation of military hardware and defence capabilities, especially in the maritime sector."
- BrahMos, co-owned by the Indian and Russian governments, told Reuters in 2023 it was in advanced discussions with Jakarta on a deal worth US$200 million to US$350 million (S$256 million); Sirait declined to confirm the final value.
- The Philippines became BrahMos's first foreign customer with a 2022 deal, positioning Indonesia as the second Southeast Asian nation to acquire the system.
- BrahMos and India's defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the agreement.
Why it matters: Indonesia becomes only the second Southeast Asian nation — and a non-treaty ally of the US — to acquire the BrahMos, a missile co-produced with Russia rather than an indigenous Indian system. Sirait's maritime-sector framing points squarely at naval anti-ship deterrence, and a finalized deal near the previously floated US$200-350M range would mark one of Jakarta's most significant arms purchases from New Delhi in years.
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