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By Ryan Chan
China News Reporter
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The Philippines confirmed on Wednesday that it will receive another shipment of supersonic anti-ship missiles amid tensions with China over disputed territories in the South China Sea.
Newsweek has reached out to the Chinese Defense Ministry for comment by email.
Why It Matters
China's territorial claims in the South China Sea have covered over 90 percent of the waters, overlapping with claims by the Philippines, a United States treaty ally, and other regional countries. It maintains a steady presence there by deploying naval and coast guard vessels.
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The Philippines received the first batch of the shore-based, anti-ship variant of the BrahMos cruise missiles from India in April 2024. The missile has a stated range of 180 miles for its baseline version, while its extended-range variant can hit targets as far as 310 miles away.
The additional delivery of the BrahMos cruise missiles comes as the U.S. has sent its ship-sinking missiles, the NMESIS, to the Philippines for a joint war game this month, as well as a Chinese aircraft carrier deployment near the Southeast Asian archipelagic state this week.
What To Know
The expected arrival of the second shipment of the BrahMos cruise missiles was revealed by Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Reuters reported, which will be the second of three BrahMos cruise missile batteries the Philippines ordered from India three years ago.
"We will do what needs to be done to ensure they are used properly," the defense chief told reporters. It was unclear where the missiles would be deployed once they were in the nation.
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Each missile battery consists of three mobile firing units with attached command and control technology, a radar, as well as support vehicles and units, the Philippine Daily Inquirer said.
In addition to the Philippines, Vietnam, which has maritime disputes with China, is poised to become the second country in the South China Sea to acquire the BrahMos cruise missiles.
With regard to the ongoing Balikatan war game between the U.S. and the Philippines, Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Chinese Defense Ministry, blamed Manila for undermining the "common interests" of countries in the region by carrying out joint patrols and exercises.
"The Philippines holds a candle to the devil by currying favor and colluding with the U.S. and other outside countries to make provocations," the spokesperson said, adding that China will "resolutely safeguard" its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.
What People Are Saying
Don McLain Gill, geopolitical analyst and lecturer at De La Salle University in Manila, told Newsweek: "This [BrahMos cruise missile] adds an important and practical layer of deterrence for the Philippines amidst the latter's limited military resources vis-a-vis China."
Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Chinese Defense Ministry, said: "We always hold that military cooperation between countries should not target or hurt the interests of any third party, nor should it jeopardize regional peace and stability."
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen whether the Philippines will further enhance its overall military power by purchasing additional weapons to counter China's threats. It has ordered the F-16 fighter aircraft from the U.S., while receiving a missile-armed corvette from South Korea recently.
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