India seals BrahMos missile deal with Vietnam, eyes Indonesia next
India has confirmed signing a deal to supply BrahMos cruise missiles to Vietnam. New Delhi said similar discussions with Indonesia are in their final stage. The move expands India's Indo-Pacific defence-diplomacy footprint.
India's Ministry of Defence has confirmed that an agreement to supply BrahMos cruise missiles to Vietnam has been formally signed. The deal's value has not been disclosed publicly, but according to SCMP sources is around $700 million. India's Defence Secretary RK Singh said a similar agreement with Indonesia is in its 'final stage'.
BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile produced by the BrahMos Aerospace joint venture between India and Russia. New Delhi's Indo-Pacific defence-diplomacy priorities include Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning did not comment directly on the announcement but repeated Beijing's standard call for 'regional stability'.
Tanvi Madan of the Wilson Center said the deal 'indicates India's preference for a balancing-rather-than-containment regional role'. US Indo-Pacific Command Admiral Stephen Koehler said Washington does not object to allies' weapons-procurement preferences. An ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting is scheduled for 12 June in Jakarta. This article is sector analysis and not investment or defence-procurement advice.
More from Asia
Japan, US, Philippines to hold September investment forum for Manila AI hub
Japan, the United States and the Philippines plan to hold an investment forum in Manila in September that aims to position the Philippines as a regional artificial-intelligence hub. The forum will focus on semiconductor, data-centre and high-performance computing projects. The move is a counterweight to China's regional technology footprint.
Japan to bolster sea lane defence with Southeast Asia info-sharing plan
Japan will set up a broad maritime information-sharing framework with Southeast Asian countries, led by the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia. With the Hormuz crisis and South China Sea tensions in the background, Tokyo is moving to protect critical trade lanes.
Inflation storm builds in India as rupee sinks deeper
India's wholesale price inflation is expected to face additional upward pressure as oil and metal prices remain elevated amid geopolitical tensions. A weakening rupee is further worsening the inflation outlook, a new report warned.