A similar agreement with Indonesia is in the final stages, New Delhi has said

India has signed an agreement to supply BrahMos cruise missiles to Vietnam, Defense Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh has confirmed.

A similar deal with Indonesia is in the final stages, Singh said at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore over the weekend.

"My understanding is that with both Indonesia and with Vietnam, the deal is in the final stages... in fact, for Vietnam, I understand that it has already been signed, probably not publicly announced, but it's already been signed," Singh said.

Vietnamese President To Lam was in India on an official visit earlylast month.

Vietnam has become the second Southeast Asian nation to induct the supersonic cruise missiles into its arsenal. Last year, the Philippines became the first third-party customer for the BrahMos system, taking delivery of an initial batch in April under a $375 million agreement signed in 2023.

The BrahMos, named after the Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers, is among the fastest supersonic cruise missiles in the world. It was jointly developed by India's Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and Russia's NPO Mashinostroyeniya rocket design bureau, which produces the Oniks anti-ship cruise missiles.

Originally capped at a range of 180 miles, the BrahMos has since beenupgradedfor greater reach, increasing its strategic value and drawing heightened interest from Southeast Asian countries amid shifting regional security dynamics.

The missile, which can be launched from ships, submarines, land, and air-based systems, was first unveiled at the MAKS-2001 airshow in Moscow.

Backed by the Indian and Russian governments, BrahMos is reportedly in advanced talks with Indonesia for a deal valued at $200 million to $350 million.

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Indonesian authorities have reportedly confirmed that they have finalized a preliminary framework to purchase the supersonic missile infrastructure.

The next phase of the BrahMos project could involve the joint development of a missile system based on Russia's Zircon hypersonic missile.

BrahMos Aerospace postedrecord revenuein the last fiscal year, the DRDO has said.

(RT.com)