Defence secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, during his visit to Singapore on Saturday, revealed that a BrahMos cruise missile deal has already been signed with Vietnam while another similar missile agreement with Indonesia is “in the final stages”.“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 while responding to a question from a Vietnamese delegate during a media event held on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue. The deal with Vietnam could be worth about Rs 6,000 crore ($629 million), including training and logistical support, say reports.While informing that the Philippines was the first buyer of the Indo-Russian co-developed supersonic missile, the defence secretary asserted that India has a strong commitment to the Asean nations. The Philippines received the first batch of BrahMos in 2024 while India delivered the second batch in April 2025.
Referring to the broader issue of sharing advanced missile technologies, Singh said India has a strong commitment to the Asean nations (comprising 11 member states), “and we treat all of you as “friendly foreign countries” with whom we can share advanced defence technologies”. He said countries generally sold sophisticated weapons systems and platforms to nations they regarded as friendly partners. “Obviously you share technology with people you trust,” he said.
Singh told delegates at the Dialogue that India was ready to work with partners across the region and beyond to build resilient supply chains, trusted defence partnerships, secure maritime commons and innovation cooperation. “Today, resilience has become one of the defining strategic requirements of our time.”Earlier this month, defence minister Rajnath Singh travelled to Hanoi, holding extensive discussions with his Vietnamese counterpart, General Phan Van Giang, on the expanding defence partnership between both nationsThe defence secretary, who was also given the charge of DRDO chairman, on Saturday held separate talks with senior officials from Australia, the European Union and the Netherlands on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, as India stepped up defence diplomacy with key Indo-Pacific and European partners.Singh and his Australian counterpart Meghan Quinn reviewed the progress of the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, discussed upcoming high-level engagements, and explored opportunities to further strengthen defence cooperation in areas of mutual interest.