Indonesia Agrees to Buy BrahMos Missiles From India

Indonesia has reached an agreement with India to acquire the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system as part of efforts to modernise its military capabilities, particularly in maritime defence, Indonesian officials have confirmed.

A spokesperson for Indonesia’s Ministry of Defence, Rico Ricardo Sirait, said the agreement forms part of Jakarta’s broader plan to strengthen national security and upgrade military hardware.

Strengthening maritime defence

Sirait said the procurement of the BrahMos missile system was intended to improve Indonesia’s defence capabilities, especially in protecting its maritime territory.

He told Reuters the agreement was “part of the modernisation of military hardware and defence capabilities, especially in the maritime sector”.

Indonesia is an archipelagic nation consisting of thousands of islands and relies heavily on naval and coastal defence systems to safeguard its territorial waters and strategic sea lanes.

Defence sources familiar with the negotiations said Indonesia plans to initially procure one battery of the BrahMos missile system for coastal defence operations.

A battery typically includes launchers, command systems and associated support infrastructure designed to deploy and control the missile system.

Officials indicated that further purchases could follow in subsequent phases depending on operational requirements.

Contract expected after financing approval

Although the agreement has been reached, the formal contract is expected to be signed in the coming months once financing arrangements are finalised.

According to defence sources, Indonesia is currently working with a domestic financial institution to secure funding for the acquisition.

Once the financing process is completed, the contract is expected to be signed within two to three months.

Earlier discussions between India and Indonesia regarding the missile system were reported to involve a deal valued between 200 million and 350 million US dollars.

Indonesia’s Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin visited India in November last year and toured facilities associated with the BrahMos programme. During the visit, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh presented him with a model of the missile system.

Officials said the visit contributed to finalising the details of the potential acquisition.

BrahMos missile capabilities

The BrahMos is widely regarded as one of the fastest operational cruise missiles currently deployed.

It travels at speeds approaching three times the speed of sound, classifying it as a supersonic cruise missile.

The missile is capable of performing a variety of missions, including anti-ship attacks, coastal defence operations and land-based strike roles.

For export versions, the missile’s range is capped at approximately 290 kilometres in accordance with international missile technology regulations.

The system’s speed and precision have made it one of India’s most prominent defence exports.

The missile programme is the result of a joint venture established in 1998 between India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya, a government-linked missile manufacturer.

Growing defence cooperation

If the contract proceeds as expected, Indonesia will become the second country to purchase the BrahMos missile system from India.

The Philippines became the first international buyer in 2022 when it signed a deal to acquire three batteries of the missile for its coastal defence forces.

The agreement with Indonesia reflects India’s efforts to expand defence exports and strengthen strategic partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region.

Indian officials have increasingly promoted domestically developed defence technologies to partner countries as part of a broader policy aimed at enhancing military cooperation and reducing reliance on imports.

For Indonesia, the purchase is part of a long-term military modernisation programme designed to improve defence capabilities across land, air and maritime domains.

The country’s geographic location along some of the world’s busiest maritime trade routes has made naval and coastal security a central focus of its defence planning.

Context

The agreement comes amid growing security concerns across the Indo-Pacific, where countries have been investing heavily in military modernisation and maritime defence systems.

Indonesia, the world’s largest archipelagic state, controls sea lanes that are vital to global trade, including routes connecting the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Strengthening coastal defence capabilities is therefore considered a priority for Indonesian defence planners.

For India, the export of the BrahMos missile represents a significant milestone in its ambition to become a major global supplier of defence equipment.

Defence analysts say the deal also highlights expanding strategic cooperation between India and Southeast Asian nations as they seek to improve security coordination across the wider Indo-Pacific region.