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New Delhi: Philippine Foreign Secretary Ma Theresa P. Lazaro has described the BrahMos missile system as an “important aspect” of India-Philippines defence relations, highlighting the growing strategic significance of India’s defence partnership with Manila in the Indo-Pacific.
Speaking to ANI, Lazaro said BrahMos was an important element of the bilateral defence relationship. However, she declined to comment on possible additional defence acquisitions, joint exercises, logistics cooperation or defence-industrial collaboration, saying such matters fall under the Philippines’ Department of National Defense.
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BrahMos has become a landmark component of the relationship since India delivered the first batch of the missile system to the Philippines in April 2024, making the Southeast Asian country the first foreign customer for the India-Russia jointly developed weapon system.
The partnership is now moving into a broader phase. Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro confirmed on September 14 that another batch of BrahMos missile systems is headed to the Philippines, indicating continued implementation of Manila’s BrahMos acquisition programme.
The missile’s importance extends beyond the weapon itself. The Philippines has been strengthening its ability to monitor and defend its maritime approaches as tensions in the South China Sea continue to shape its security planning. A shore-based BrahMos system provides Manila with a long-range anti-ship strike capability that can contribute to deterrence and coastal defence.
The development also gives India a strategically significant defence foothold in Southeast Asia. BrahMos represents one of India's most prominent examples of defence exports translating into deeper strategic relationships, combining military equipment with training, maintenance and longer-term defence engagement.
The missile has also gained wider operational relevance through cooperation involving the Philippines and the United States. Philippine and US Marines recently conducted training involving simulated BrahMos employment during Exercise MASA 2026, underscoring how the system is becoming part of the Philippines’ wider network of security partnerships.
For New Delhi, the Philippines is increasingly important as India expands defence cooperation with ASEAN and Indo-Pacific partners. The relationship provides opportunities not only for additional defence exports but also for maritime security cooperation, military exchanges and potentially greater defence-industrial engagement.
Lazaro’s remarks therefore underline the broader significance of BrahMos for India: the missile is increasingly functioning as both a defence capability and an instrument of strategic diplomacy, strengthening India’s position as a defence technology partner in the Indo-Pacific.
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