Philippines to acquire missile system from India
Jan 15, 2022: According to a report by Reuters, the defense minister of the South East asian state said, the Philippines had finalized an agreement to acquire a shore-based anti-ship missile system from India for about ً $375 million to improve its navy.
The Philippines is in the final stages of a five-year, 300 billion peso ($ 5.85 billion) plan to modernize its military’s outdated hardware, including World War II warships and US helicopters used in the Vietnam War. Under the negotiating agreement with the Government of India, BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd will provide three batteries, train operators and maintainers, and provide logistical support, Defense Minister Delphine Lorenzana said in a Facebook post late Friday.
The idea was conceptualised in 2017, but faced delays in budget allocation and due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The new anti-ship system aims to prevent foreign ships from encroaching on the country’s 200-nautical-mile special economic zone.
In 2018, the Philippines purchased the Israeli-made Spike ER missile, its first aircraft-based missile system for maritime deterrence. Despite the friendly relations between China and the Philippines under President Rodrigo Duterte, Beijing is adamant about claiming a large part of the South China Sea, which is a conduit for goods worth more than $3.4 trillion annually.
Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have also filed competitive claims. However, the 2016 international arbitration decision stated that there was no legal basis for the Chinese claims.
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