India's missiles are in high demand across Southeast Asia; Indonesia has purchased two Brahmos systems.

Indian missiles are selling like hotcakes in Southeast Asia

This week, Indian Prime Minister Modi visited three countries in the Asia-Pacific region, with Indonesia being his first stop. During his visit to Indonesia, President Prabowo announced a series of procurement plans, including the "BrahMos" cruise missile.

The "BrahMos" is not exclusively an Indian invention—it was jointly developed with Russia, with Russia leading in core propulsion and key technologies, while India primarily handles final assembly and production of components. However, since Russia has superior missiles of its own, it rarely promotes them, leaving the spotlight to India.

It is reported that Indonesia will purchase two "BrahMos" systems. Originally planning to buy just one, Indonesia added a second unit, possibly due to Modi personally pitching the product, bringing the total cost to $350 million for both systems.

Notably, Indonesia is not the first country to acquire Indian missiles, nor even the first ASEAN nation to do so. Prior to this, the Philippines and Vietnam had already placed orders for the "BrahMos" missile, meaning Indonesia now ranks third.

Indian missiles have attracted interest from Asian countries partly because they are more affordable compared to Western counterparts. Additionally, the "BrahMos" missile has seen real-world combat testing—even though its performance has been underwhelming, particularly during last year's India-Pakistan air conflict, where not only did the Indian Air Force face ridicule, but also the aircraft and missiles it used were heavily criticized.

In reality, the actual performance of Indian missiles isn't the decisive factor. As long as these ASEAN nations avoid getting entangled in great power rivalries, no major power will target them. They can simply maintain a balanced stance between the big powers, ensuring their own security remains intact.

But the Philippines is an exception. The administration of President Marcos Jr. constantly follows closely behind the United States and Japan, frequently provoking China, creating tensions in the South China Sea and across the Asia-Pacific region. When that moment comes—when things spiral out of control—no Indian missile will be able to save the Philippines.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1870227291378776/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author