China claims that the entire South China Sea is solely its territory.
Manila: India needs to maintain its business relationship with Beijing, but on the other hand, it must also secure its borders. Additionally, India has to counter China in its neighbourhood. In this effort, the missile BrahMos, referred to as a ‘Brahmastra’, plays a significant role. BrahMos has been jointly developed by India and Russia, which Delhi is providing to China’s adversaries.
The Philippines, a neighbour of China, purchased the BrahMos missile system from India in 2024, which it has deployed in the South China Sea. According to recent reports, Indonesia is now preparing to negotiate a deal with India to purchase BrahMos. China has also become a threat to Indonesia in the South China Sea. If this deal goes through, it will become the second country to buy BrahMos after the Philippines. However, it may not be the last country. Besides Indonesia, Vietnam is also actively negotiating a BrahMos deal with India, and Malaysia has shown interest in the BrahMos missile.
Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Malaysia are all struggling with China for their share in the South China Sea. China claims that the entire South China Sea is solely its territory. Meanwhile, these countries want their rights. There is a deep dispute between these countries and China. Therefore, these countries are trying to acquire a weapon that can provide them security against China in the South China Sea. BrahMos is suitable for this purpose. The BrahMos missile can be launched from submarines, ships, fighter jets, or ground vehicles. Therefore, this missile can prove to be quite dangerous for China.
The southernmost part of the South China Sea is the Natuna Sea. There is a sharp dispute between China and Indonesia in this area and Indonesia is increasing its maritime defense capabilities in this area. The BrahMos missile is famous for its exceptional speed, accuracy and firepower.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto visited Delhi as the chief guest during the Republic Day. During this time, there were discussions between the two countries regarding the BrahMos missile.
Indonesian Navy Chief Admiral Muhammad Ali had visited the BrahMos aerospace facility to buy a shore-based variant of the missile as well as variants that can be fitted on warships. The Indonesian delegation also held talks with the Indian military leadership to increase cooperation in the defense industry in shipbuilding and aircraft carrier construction.
