Indonesia is exploring cooperation with India on defense technology, including on the Brahmos cruise missile.
Additional areas of cooperation include joint exercises, ship development, and joint maritime security operations, Indonesian Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said after a meeting with visiting Indian Navy chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi.
“India is ready to participate in the Multilateral Naval Exercise Komodo 2025 in Bali and supports the plan for joint patrols in the Straits of Malacca,” Sjamsoeddin said on X.
“Collaboration on advanced technologies such as BrahMos is also in the spotlight, as well as an opportunity for Indonesia to learn and develop.”
Defense Collaboration With India
Jakarta has been considering acquiring the supersonic missile for the last few years. However, consideration of a collaboration on its technology is a first.
It comes as the defense minister acknowledged India’s strides in the development of domestic defense technology in recent years.
In addition to Brahmos, the South Asian country has developed and produced indigenous platforms for both domestic needs and exports such as artillery, multi-barrel rocket launchers, and air defense systems.
With that, it is attempting to position itself as a more cost-effective alternative to Western platforms.
“The Minister of Defense is aware that India’s technology is currently developing very rapidly,” the head of the Defense Information Bureau General Frega F. Wenas Inkiriwang told Indonesian news agency Antara.
“Therefore, the Minister of Defense expressed his joy in being able to work together with India, especially in the defense sector to improve Indonesia’s domestic technology.”
Brahmos
The Brahmos is a joint development of Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyenia and India’s Defence Research and Development Organization.
A joint venture of the two state firms, BrahMos Aerospace, produces the weapon.
The missile is based on Russia’s P-800 Oniks family of cruise missiles, featuring the world’s fastest speed of Mach 3.
It can be launched from air, sea, and land and strike targets 290 to 500 kilometers (180-311 miles) away, depending on the platform.
The land and sea-based versions weigh around 3,000 kilograms (6,614 pounds), with a payload of 300 kilograms (661 pounds). The air-launched variant is lighter by around 500 kilograms (1,102 pounds).
Additional features of the missile include an inertial navigation system (INS) for naval targets and a blend of INS and GPS for ground targets.
For terminal guidance, it relies on an active/passive radar system.
The missile is in service with all three Indian military services and the Philippine Marine Corps.