 "BrahMos missile system. Reuters")
When the Philippines received its first BrahMos shore-based missile battery from India, it marked a milestone in the country’s quest to modernise its armed forces. For the first time, the archipelago nation possessed a credible, long-range, precision strike capability — one that could hold enemy warships at risk across vast stretches of its maritime domain. But as significant as this development was, it is only the beginning. The future of Philippine maritime deterrence does not lie solely in fixed coastal launchers. It lies at sea.
Significantly, in a strong gesture of growing ties, Philippines President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr begins his five-day to India on Monday on an invitation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, signalling a notable strengthening of cooperation and shared interests between the two nations. His visit begins a day after India and the Philippines began their joint naval drill near the South China Sea in the Philippine Sea region of the Pacific Ocean.
From static deterrence to dynamic power
Integrating a naval version of the BrahMos missile into the Philippine Navy would represent a decisive shift from static defence to mobile proactive deterrence. In a region where maritime disputes are not just common but intensifying, particularly in the South China Sea, mobility is not a luxury.
It is a strategic requirement. While shore-based systems protect specific areas, ship-based BrahMos missiles offer a level of flexibility and survivability that is indispensable in an increasingly contested environment.
The logic is straightforward. Land-based missile batteries are fixed in place. Their effectiveness depends on geography, and their locations, once discovered, are difficult to conceal.
Even with camouflage and deception tactics, fixed systems remain vulnerable to surveillance, tracking, and, in the event of conflict, preemptive strikes. Their presence is a deterrent, but a limited one as it is constrained by immobility.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsNaval platforms equipped with BrahMos missiles can operate with far greater unpredictability. A warship carrying a supersonic anti-ship missile does not need to wait for a threat to approach its coastline. It can patrol contested waters, reposition itself in response to emerging threats and conduct deterrent operations with much broader operational reach.
Mobility as a strategic advantage
This mobility brings with it enhanced survivability. A moving target is inherently harder to hit. Ships can manoeuver, disperse and evade surveillance in ways that land-based units simply cannot.
During times of heightened tension or conflict, the ability to reposition missile-equipped ships complicates an adversary’s calculations. China, for instance, would have to account not only for known shore-based batteries, but also for mobile strike platforms that can appear unpredictably, launch with little warning and retreat before being located.
Deterrence where it matters most: At sea
The strategic geography of the Philippines further highlights the need for naval missile capability. With over 7,000 islands spread across vast maritime zones, defending national territory from the shoreline alone is an inadequate strategy.
Much of the country’s maritime domain lies far from the immediate reach of coastal systems. Ship-based BrahMos launchers can operate in these areas, maintaining a persistent presence in regions like the Spratly Islands, where Chinese encroachment has been most aggressive.
A networked force
Beyond deterrence, naval BrahMos integration enhances the Philippines’ ability to engage in joint and networked operations. Modern maritime defence is increasingly about coordination between multiple assets — ships, aircraft, drones and radar systems — all feeding into a real-time operational picture.
A naval vessel with BrahMos capability can serve as a critical node in this network, responding quickly to threats detected by airborne or land-based sensors. The result is not just a more capable navy, but a more cohesive and responsive national defence system.
Importantly, the path toward this capability is already being paved. The shore-based BrahMos systems delivered to the Philippine Marine Corps use the same core missile technology that would be installed on ships. This commonality simplifies logistics, training and maintenance.
Filipino personnel have already received operational and technical training in India. This foundation ensures that when the navy begins integrating BrahMos into its vessels, it won’t be starting from scratch.
A shared missile ecosystem between the Marine Corps and the Navy also strengthens doctrinal unity, allowing both branches to develop coordinated tactics and operational strategies.
Equipping the Philippine Navy with ship-based BrahMos missiles would be a clear signal — to China, to Asean neighbours and to global partners — that the Philippines is prepared not only to defend its territorial integrity, but to do so with modern tools and mature resolve.