MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Army is set to acquire cruise missiles to boost its coastal defense capability. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told reporters on Monday night that he plans to sign early next year a contract for the acquisition of medium-range ramjet supersonic BrahMos cruise missiles.
The land-based cruise missiles would be acquired through a government-to-government deal with India.
According to Lorenzana, the contract would involve two missile batteries of BrahMos units.
A missile battery is composed of three mobile autonomous launchers each with two or three missile tubes each.
He pointed out that although the cruise missiles would be acquired primarily for the Army’s artillery regiment, they can also be used by the Philippine Air Force.
The defense secretary noted that the BrahMos would be the Philippine military’s first weapon with deterrent capability.—Jeannette I. Andrade