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India delivered the first batch of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines
In January 2022, the Philippines concluded a $375-million deal with India for three batteries of a shore-based, anti-ship variant of the BrahMos becoming the first export customer for the joint venture missile between India and Russia.
The Philippines is acquiring the systems under the Horizon 2 of the Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernisation Programme
BrahMos
BrahMos is a joint venture between the DRDO and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya
The missile derives its name from Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers.
The missile is capable of being launched from land, sea, sub-sea and air against surface and sea-based targets and has been long inducted by the Indian armed forces.
BrahMos is a two-stage missile with a solid propellant booster engine.
Its first stage brings the missile to supersonic speed (meaning faster than sound) and then gets separated.
The liquid ramjet or the second stage then takes the missile closer to three times the speed of sound in cruise phase.
The missile has a very low radar signature, making it stealthy, and can achieve a variety of trajectories.
The ‘fire and forget’ type missile can achieve a cruising altitude of 15 km and a terminal altitude as low as 10 m to hit the target
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