SINGAPORE — India has signed a deal to supply Vietnam with the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system, Defense Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh confirmed during the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. Singh stated the agreement had already been finalized, though it had not been publicly announced.
"My understanding is that with both Indonesia and with Vietnam, the deal is in the final stages, that in fact, for Vietnam, I understand that it has already been signed, probably not publicly announced, but it’s already been signed," Singh said. He added, "Obviously you are in the category of friendly foreign country with whom we would be happy to share this kind of advanced technology."
The deal was signed in the last fiscal year, according to sources in the defense and security establishment. It is reportedly valued at about 60 billion rupees ($629 million) or Rs5,800 crore and includes coastal defense missile batteries, an initial batch of missiles, as well as training and logistical support.
Vietnam is set to become the third Southeast Asian nation to agree to purchase the BrahMos missile system. The missile, developed by BrahMos Aerospace—an India-Russia joint venture established in 1998—can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft, or land platforms and flies at nearly three times the speed of sound.
The agreement builds on defense initiatives between India and Vietnam. In June 2022, Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and Vietnamese Defense Minister Gen. Phan Van Giang signed a Joint Vision Statement on India-Vietnam Defense Partnership Towards 2030. That same month, the two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Mutual Logistics Support, the first such major agreement Vietnam has signed with any country.
India and Vietnam established a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2016. Hanoi occupies a key position in New Delhi’s Act East Policy, which seeks to strengthen India’s strategic and economic engagement with Southeast Asia.