&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Indonesia's Defence Minister to visit India next week to accelerate BrahMos missile export deal")
Jakarta and New Delhi are quietly working on the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile deal, something that could get impetus during Indonesia’s Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin's visit to India from 26–28 November. During the visit, he will hold key talks with Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The three-day visit is expected to include talks on the possible export of the missile, one of the world's fastest supersonic cruise missiles, versatile for land, sea, and air launches, to the ASEAN country.
BrahMos Aerospace, the Indo-Russian joint venture between DRDO and NPO Mashinostroyenia, has already delivered the first battery to the Philippines under a $375 million deal signed in 2022. Indonesia's interest is driven by geography and geopolitics. The country sits astride the Malacca Strait, one of the world’s busiest maritime chokepoints. A BrahMos coastal battery would give Jakarta a credible capability amid a rise in the number of maritime challenges.
Equally important is Indonesia’s desire to diversify its arms sources. Main suppliers of the South East Asian country include Russia, US, China. India, with its rapidly maturing defence industry, offers a major option.
The “Make in India” dimension adds another layer. The new BrahMos production line in Lucknow, inaugurated recently, sharply increases output and brings unit costs down. The deal, if concluded, is likely to be in the $600–800 million range. For India, Indonesia would mark the second Southeast Asian customer after the Philippines and a major validation of its ambition to become a top-tier arms exporter.
India and Indonesia share robust defence ties, with key engagements including bilateral exercises like Garuda Shakti (Army) and Samudra Shakti (Navy), IND-INDO CORPAT, alongside regular staff talks and Subject Matter Expert Exchanges. High-level engagements, including Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi’s December 2024 trip and the Defence Ministers’ meeting under ADMM-Plus.
