Jakarta. Indonesia confirmed Monday that it had agreed to buy the BrahMos missile system from India, a deal first unveiled by a Filipino army chief.

Romeo S Brawner Jr,  the chief of staff of the Filipino Armed Forces, recently told the Indian press that Manila was the first international buyer of the BrahMos missile systems. It was then that Brawner Jr claimed that Indonesia had also followed suit. The Jakarta Globe asked Defense Ministry spokesman Rico Ricardo Sirait about the purchase of these supersonic missiles.

“Indonesia has partnered with India in the procurement of the BrahMos missile system. This is part of our efforts to modernize our weaponry, especially in beefing up our coastal defense,” Rico told the Globe via text. 

According to Rico, the procurement further strengthens Jakarta-New Delhi’s strategic partnership in the defense field. The new system is also expected to “boost deterrence capabilities in safeguarding national sovereignty”. 

BrahMos Aerospace is an Indian-Russian joint venture headquartered in New Delhi. Its missile system comes in land-based, air, ship-based, and submarine-based versions. Manila ordered BrahMos’ shore-based anti-ship missile system at nearly $375 million back in 2022.

On Dec. 2025, the South China Morning Post wrote that the $450 million Indonesian deal was nearing its finish line. Rico offered little clarity on the value when asked if the total price tag for the missiles remained at $450 million. The article also explained that BrahMos at the time was waiting for Moscow’s greenlight, given Russia’s a 49.5% stake in the joint venture.

Indonesia does not shy away from making arms purchases since Prabowo Subianto — a retired army general and ex-defense minister — assumed power in Oct. 2024. Within his first year, the Prabowo government bought 48 Turkish-made KAAN jets in hopes of upgrading the country’s airpower. Prabowo has previously stated that a “nation that does not want to invest in its defense system will [have] its independence being stolen away”. For the 2026 fiscal year, Indonesia has set aside Rp 337 trillion (around $19.9 billion) in the defense budget.

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