Philippines Considers Expanding BrahMos Missile Acquisition to Counter Chinese Maritime Power
The Philippine Army is reportedly exploring the acquisition of up to nine additional BrahMos coastal missile batteries. This potential expansion would significantly augment the three BrahMos batteries already operated by the Philippine Marine Corps. The proposed Integrated Shore-Based Anti-Ship Missile System (ISBASMS) initiative aims to transform the Philippines' limited shore-strike capabilities into a distributed archipelagic denial network. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has indicated that the Philippines is in the process of procuring more missiles, and Ambassador Josel F. Ignacio has highlighted operational satisfaction with the existing systems and interest in broader industrial cooperation. This move is seen as a response to escalating tensions with China in the South China Sea, including incidents involving water-cannon attacks, blocking, and ramming near Scarborough Shoal and Second Thomas Shoal. The BrahMos missile, a joint Indian-Russian development, is a supersonic cruise missile with an appro... 
