The Philippines will be the first country to buy the missile system it claims is the fastest.

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, MANILA – The Philippines has finalized an agreement to acquire the system missile anti-ship of India for US$375 million. This missile aims to strengthen the naval defense of the Philippines.

Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that based on the agreement negotiated with the Indian government, the company BrahMos Aerospace Private Ltd will send three batteries, a train operator and an operator, and provide logistical support. BrahMos is a joint venture between India and Russia, which developed the cruise missile.

The Indian Ministry of Defense claims that the BrahMos cruise missile is the fastest in the world. The Philippines will be the first country to buy missile system the.

The anti-ship missile system aims to prevent foreign vessels from encroaching on the 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). During the last years Philippines has repeatedly accused China of violating its EEZ by sending hundreds of militia ships into its territorial waters.

“It’s part of our territorial defense,” Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman Ramon Zagala said. Algeria, Saturday (15/1).

The Philippines is in the final stages of a five-year, $5.85 billion project to modernize its obsolete military hardware. The modernization includes warship from the World War II era and helicopters used by the United States during the Vietnam War.

The state of Manila’s military defenses is one of the most outdated in Asia. Former President Benigno Aquino launched a modest military equipment modernization program in 2012. But modernization still falls short of that of neighboring superpower China. In 2018, the Philippines purchased the Israeli-made Spike ER missile, which was the first shipborne missile system for maritime deterrence.