Vietnam is in talks with India to purchase BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles.
The negotiations began recently, The Eurasian Times reported, citing an official with BrahMos Aerospace, underlining that a deal is not imminent.
Manufacturer BrahMos Aerospace is a joint venture between the Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya.
The report comes days after an Indian outlet reported that the two countries would likely sign a missile deal in the coming days.
Citing sources, Zee Business wrote that the deal could be inked during Vietnam Defense Minister Phan Văn Giang‘s visit to New Delhi on June 19.
According to the outlet, Hanoi could order three to five batteries for an estimated $625 million. Each battery costs around $125 million.
The BrahMos
The BrahMos missile has been operational in the Indian military since 2005.
The medium-range ramjet missile can be launched from land, ship, and air platforms. A submarine-launched version is under development.
The 3 Mach plus missile has a range of up to 500 kilometers (310 miles). The range of the export variant is restricted to 290 kilometers (180 miles).
Longer-range and hypersonic versions of the missile are reportedly being planned.
The Philippines bought three BrahMos batteries in 2021 to bolster its anti-ship capabilities for approximately $362 million.
