Singapore’s High Commissioner to India, Simon Wong, along with fellow ASEAN diplomats, visited the BrahMos Aerospace facility in New Delhi on Monday, describing the trip as “an eyeopener” into India’s defence industry and the engineering behind the supersonic cruise missile. The visit was organised by the Philippine Embassy in New Delhi.
“An eyeopener to visit @BrahMosMissile in New Delhi today with #ASEAN colleagues. An opportunity to learn more about India’s defence industry and the engineering behind BrahMos,” Wong wrote on X, thanking the hosts for their welcome and the Philippine Embassy for organising the visit. He tagged the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which co-develops BrahMos with Russia, and the Ministry of Defence’s spokesperson.
Why the Philippine Embassy organised it
The Philippines has a direct stake in BrahMos beyond diplomatic interest. It became the missile’s first export customer in January 2022, signing a $375 million deal for three batteries of the shore-based, anti-ship variant, with a range of about 290 km. The Indian Air Force delivered the first batch of missiles to Manila in April 2024. Philippine officials have since described the system as a “credible deterrence” for the country amid its maritime disputes with China in the South China Sea, with Ambassador Josel Francisco Ignacio calling India one of the Philippines’ top potential partners for future defence acquisitions.
The wider ASEAN-India context
The visit comes as the Philippines holds the ASEAN chairmanship for the year, as well as the role of country coordinator for ASEAN-India dialogue relations, a position from which Manila has said it intends to help advance the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. It follows closely on the 18th BRICS Summit, hosted by India in New Delhi on September 12-13, which Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr attended as ASEAN Chair and an invited outreach country, and at which he said ASEAN nations would look to engage with BRICS on peace, inclusive growth and a rules-based international order.
What it signals
Organised tours of India’s defence manufacturing base for the Southeast Asian diplomatic corps, of the kind Monday’s BrahMos visit represents, fit a broader pattern of India positioning itself as a credible defence partner for ASEAN states navigating an increasingly contested security environment in the South China Sea. With Singapore’s envoy leading the delegation and the Philippine mission as host, the visit underscores how BrahMos, once a bilateral India-Philippines defence deal, has become something of a showcase piece for India’s defence engagement with the wider ASEAN bloc.
