On 7 July, after months of reports that the two countries were finalizing an agreement, Indonesia and India officially signed and announced a contract on the BrahMos missile system.
The announcement took place in Jakarta during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit, marking a major step forward in defense ties between the two countries and paving the way for Indonesia to become the third export customer for the supersonic missile system after the Philippines and Vietnam.
The contract was signed between BrahMos Aerospace and the Indonesian Ministry of Defense. Neither side has yet released further details on the contract value, the number of missiles to be procured, or the delivery schedule.
Naval News comments
In recent years, Indonesian military planners have increasingly emphasized the need to procure coastal defense systems, including land-based anti-ship missiles, to strengthen an anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) strategy, particularly along the country’s Archipelagic Sea Lanes and key maritime chokepoints, including Malacca, Makassar, Sunda, and Lombok Straits.
If Indonesia proceeds with the BrahMos acquisition, it would not be the first time the country operates a supersonic anti-ship missile. The Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) previously fielded the Russian-made Yakhont, the export version of the P-800 Oniks, on which the BrahMos was developed.
The Indonesian Navy successfully launched Yakhont missiles during two SINKEX exercises in 2011 and 2012 from a Van Speijk-class frigate, KRI Oswald Siahaan (354). However, no subsequent Yakhont launches have been publicly reported, leading to speculation that the Indonesian Navy may no longer possess operational Yakhont missiles and/or a launch-capable platform.
Indonesia would also not be the first Southeast Asian country to field land-based anti-ship missiles. The Philippines ordered BrahMos in 2022 and publicly showcased the system for the first time last November.
Vietnam has also operated the Soviet/Russian-made 4K44 Redut, 4K51 Rubezh, and K-300P Bastion-P coastal defense systems, the latter of which uses the P-800 Oniks/Yakhont missile and has already begun discussions with India about a possible BrahMos procurement.