The Philippines is moving toward a major expansion of its BrahMos coastal missile force, building on its first acquisition from India.
Reports have suggested that Manila could eventually acquire up to nine additional BrahMos batteries. Philippine Ambassador to India Josel F. Ignacio, however, has not confirmed a number.
Speaking in New Delhi on August 12, 2026, Ignacio said BrahMos deliveries were progressing well. He also described the missile as an important part of the Philippines’ growing deterrent capability.
Official Philippine sources strongly confirm Manila’s intention to buy more BrahMos systems. However, they have not publicly confirmed an order for nine additional batteries.
That distinction remains important as India and the Philippines deepen their defence partnership.
President Marcos Has Already Confirmed Plans to Buy More BrahMos
The strongest official confirmation came directly from Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
During his August 2025 State Visit to India, Marcos confirmed that the Philippines was already moving to acquire additional BrahMos systems.
The Philippine News Agency, which operates under the Presidential Communications Office, reported that Marcos said the country was “in the process of actually procuring more.”
The President said Philippine personnel operating BrahMos had asked for more systems after training and operational experience.
This means the question is no longer whether Manila wants additional BrahMos batteries. Official Philippine statements confirm that it does.
The remaining questions concern how many systems Manila will purchase, when contracts will be signed and which Philippine service will operate them.
Nine Additional Batteries Remain Reported, Not Officially Confirmed
Several defence reports have linked the next phase of the Philippine programme with as many as nine additional BrahMos batteries.
However, no public announcement from the Philippine Department of National Defense, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Government of India or BrahMos Aerospace confirms that exact number.
The latest remarks from Ambassador Ignacio follow the same pattern. He confirmed satisfaction with the programme but did not provide a figure when asked about reports of nine additional batteries.
Official Philippine statements therefore support a significant expansion, but the nine-battery figure should still remain attributed to reports.
There are signs that Philippine requirements have grown considerably over time.
Philippine Army Has Long Planned Its Own BrahMos Force
The first Philippine BrahMos contract covers systems for the Philippine Marine Corps.
However, the Philippine Army has separately pursued BrahMos for coastal defence.
In January 2022, an official Philippine Army statement said the service planned to acquire two BrahMos batteries under the third horizon of its military modernisation programme.
The requirement later appeared to grow.
In October 2023, then Armed Forces of the Philippines chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. confirmed that the Army intended to acquire BrahMos systems.
He said the Army’s requirement would be higher than the three batteries being acquired by the Marines, although he did not reveal the precise number.
This is significant because it shows that Manila’s interest in additional BrahMos batteries predates the latest reports.
It also indicates that the Philippine Army could eventually operate its own coastal missile units alongside the Marine Corps.
First Deal Made Philippines BrahMos’ First Export Customer
The Philippines became the first foreign customer for BrahMos after signing a contract in January 2022.
The agreement covered three shore-based anti-ship missile batteries for the Philippine Marine Corps.
The contract was valued at around PHP18.9 billion, or approximately $375 million at the time. It also included training and logistics support.
India delivered the first batch in April 2024.
By April 2025, Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. confirmed that another batch was on its way to the country.
The programme has since become one of the most visible examples of India’s emergence as a defence exporter.
Manila Calls BrahMos a Credible Deterrent
The importance of BrahMos to Philippine defence planning has grown considerably.
Defence Secretary Teodoro described the system as an important element of the country’s deterrent capability during President Marcos’ India visit in August 2025.
When asked whether Manila planned additional purchases, Teodoro said the two sides would continue discussions on expanding their defence partnership.
Philippine officials see the missile as particularly relevant to territorial defence.
The Philippine National Security Council described BrahMos as a “game changer” even before the first systems arrived. The weapon gave the country its first modern supersonic coastal anti-ship missile capability.
The Philippine Marines have now incorporated BrahMos into their coastal defence structure.
During Exercise Balikatan 2026, the Coastal Defense Regiment used the BrahMos system during a simulated maritime strike in Northern Luzon.
This indicates that the system is moving beyond acquisition into operational training.
Why More BrahMos Batteries Matter
The Philippines consists of more than 7,000 islands. This geography creates a demanding coastal defence problem.
A larger mobile missile force would allow the Armed Forces of the Philippines to cover more maritime approaches.
BrahMos batteries can relocate between prepared positions. This makes them harder to locate and increases their usefulness for coastal defence.
A larger missile network could support Manila’s broader Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept, which focuses increasingly on external and territorial defence.
The Philippine Army has also said it is strengthening capabilities to defend the country’s territory and its 200-nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone.
Additional BrahMos systems would fit naturally into that strategy.
India-Philippines Defence Partnership Has Moved Beyond a Missile Sale
BrahMos has also changed the wider defence relationship between India and the Philippines.
During President Marcos’ 2025 visit, both countries formally elevated their ties to a Strategic Partnership.
The Philippine Presidential Communications Office specifically identified the BrahMos project as an example of India’s role in supporting Philippine military modernisation.
The two governments also agreed to strengthen defence-industry cooperation.
Their Strategic Partnership declaration calls for greater collaboration in defence technology, research, training and industrial development.
More importantly, India and the Philippines agreed to pursue co-development and co-production of defence equipment. They also backed joint investment in defence research and supply chains.
This opens the door to a relationship that could eventually extend well beyond direct equipment purchases.
Philippines Interested in Learning From India’s Defence Industry
Manila has already begun exploring this wider model.
In November 2025, a Philippine defence delegation travelled to India to study opportunities for defence-industrial cooperation.
The delegation included officials from the Department of National Defense and Armed Forces of the Philippines.
They discussed long-term capability development under Manila’s Self-Reliant Defense Posture initiative.
This provides important context to Ambassador Ignacio’s latest remarks.
The Philippines increasingly views India not simply as an equipment supplier, but as a possible partner in building its own defence industrial capacity.
BrahMos has become the foundation of that relationship.
Nine-Battery Expansion Would Transform Philippine Coastal Defence
If Manila eventually acquires nine additional batteries, the scale of its BrahMos force would change dramatically.
The original Marine Corps programme introduced three batteries.
An additional nine would create a much larger network of mobile coastal strike units and significantly increase the number of areas Manila could protect.
Such an acquisition could also become one of India’s largest defence export programmes.
However, no official contract for nine additional batteries has yet been publicly announced.
What official sources do confirm is already significant.
President Marcos has confirmed that the Philippines is procuring more BrahMos. Philippine defence leaders have described the missile as central to credible deterrence. The Philippine Army has also pursued its own BrahMos requirement.
Meanwhile, both governments have formally committed themselves to deeper defence-industrial cooperation.
The latest comments from Ambassador Ignacio therefore point toward continuity rather than a new direction.
The first BrahMos sale established India as a credible defence supplier to the Philippines. The next phase could turn that initial acquisition into a much larger and more enduring missile partnership.
Verified Facts
Officially confirmed: The Philippines intends to procure more BrahMos systems; the Philippine Army has a separate coastal missile requirement; the first contract covered three Marine Corps batteries; and India and the Philippines are expanding defence-industrial cooperation.
Not yet officially confirmed: The precise figure of six or nine additional BrahMos batteries, their contract value, delivery schedule and final service allocation.
Reference
1. Philippine News Agency – Presidential Communications Office
PH in talks with India to acquire more BrahMos missiles – PBBM
7 August 2025
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1256005
2. Philippine News Agency – Presidential Communications Office
BrahMos an important part of PH deterrent capability – DND chief
8 August 2025
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1256111
3. Philippine News Agency – Presidential Communications Office
PH Army next to get BrahMos missiles under AFP modernization
21 January 2022
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1166017
4. Philippine News Agency – Presidential Communications Office
PH Army eyes BrahMos missiles for coastal defense
12 October 2023
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1211650
5. Philippine News Agency – Presidential Communications Office
DND: Another batch of BrahMos missile systems en route to PH
23 April 2025
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1248536
6. Philippine News Agency – Presidential Communications Office
BrahMos missile system to undergo simulation firing in Balikatan
20 April 2026
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1273289
7. Presidential Communications Office, Republic of the Philippines
President Marcos, Indian PM Modi agree to further boost economic and security cooperation
6 August 2025
https://pco.gov.ph/news_releases/president-marcos-indian-pm-modi-agree-to-further-boost-economic-and-security-cooperation/
8. Press Information Bureau – Prime Minister’s Office, Government of India
Declaration on the Establishment of a Strategic Partnership between India and the Philippines
5 August 2025
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2152631&lang=2®=48
9. Embassy of the Philippines in New Delhi – Department of Foreign Affairs
Philippine Defense Officials Engage Indian Government, Private Sector Players on Defense Industrial Cooperation
24 November 2025
https://newdelhipe.dfa.gov.ph/index.php/newsroom/embassy-news/1177-philippine-defense-officials-engage-indian-government-private-sector-players-on-defense-industrial-cooperation
10. Philippine Embassy in New Delhi – Department of Foreign Affairs
Philippines-India Bilateral Relations
https://newdelhipe.dfa.gov.ph/index.php/86-philippines-india-relations/981-philippines-india-bilateral-relations
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