The Philippines is taking steps to ensure China does not dominate the South China Sea by building its first BrahMos anti-ship missile base aimed at the contested waters. Satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies appears to show the development of the base, which includes a high bay for maintenance and testing, as well as a separate shelter for missile storage.
Several military and maritime experts analyzed the images, noting the base’s similarity to BrahMos sites in India where the missiles are manufactured.
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Developed with Russia’s help, the BrahMos is a versatile, long-range supersonic cruise missile capable of being launched from land, sea or air. It can reach speeds just under Mach 3, or three times the speed of sound. The missile has a reported range of about 290 km, or just a tick over 180 miles.
BrahMos Aerospace said the missile operates on a fire-and-forget principle, meaning it can autonomously guide itself to its target once fired. The BrahMos can carry conventional warheads weighing over 600 pounds. Combined with the kinetic energy from its supersonic flight, the BrahMos is bringing a bad day to any ship it meets.
According to Naval News, the Philippines started construction of the new missile site at Naval Station Leovigildo Gantioqui, located on the western coast of Luzon and facing the South China Sea. This positioning places the Scarborough Shoal — one of the region’s most disputed areas — within range.
The Philippine Marine Corps purchased three batteries of BrahMos missiles, valued at around $375 million. Leading maritime experts theorize that the Corps could establish two more anti-ship missile bases: one at Camp Cape Bojeador, which would cover most of the Luzon Strait, and potentially one on Lubang Island, which overlooks Manila Bay and maritime access to the capital city of the Philippines.
It is likely the Philippines will acquire more than just three BrahMos batteries in the future, as the Philippine Army also identified the missile system as a target for procurement, along with the U.S.-made HIMARS. Other countries in the region, such as Vietnam and Indonesia, are also interested in procuring their own BrahMos missile batteries, because no one wants to cede control of the South China Sea to China.
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
THE PHILIPPINES IS TAKING STEPS TO MAKE SURE CHINA DOESN’T DOMINATE THE SOUTH CHINA SEA BY BUILDING THE FIRST BRAHMOS ANTI-SHIP MISSILE BASE AIMED AT THE SOUTH CHINA SEA.
SATELLITE IMAGERY FROM MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES APPEARS TO SHOW THE MAKINGS OF THE BASE. THERE’S A HIGH BAY FOR MAINTENANCE AND TESTING, AND A SEPARATE SHELTER FOR MISSILE STORAGE HERE.
SEVERAL MILITARY AND MARITIME EXPERTS ANALYZED THE IMAGES AND SAY THE BASE LOOKS VERY SIMILAR TO BRAHMOS SITES IN INDIA, WHICH WOULD MAKE SENSE BECAUSE THE MISSILES ARE MADE IN INDIA.
DEVELOPED WITH RUSSIA’S HELP, THE BRAHMOS IS A UNIVERSAL LONG-RANGE SUPERSONIC CRUISE MISSILE. IT CAN BE LAUNCHED BY LAND, SEA OR AIR MAKING IT EXTREMELY VERSATILE. THE BRAHMOS CAN REACH SPEEDS OF JUST UNDER MACH 3–OR THREE TIMES THE SPEED OF SOUND–AND HAS A REPORTED RANGE OF ABOUT 290 KM–WHICH IS JUST A TICK OVER 180 MILES
INDIA SAYS THE MISSILE OPERATES ON A FIRE AND FORGET PRINCIPLE, MEANING THE BRAHMOS CAN GUIDE ITSELF TO ITS TARGET ONCE FIRED. THE BRAHMOS CAN CARRY CONVENTIONAL WARHEADS WEIGHING OVER 600 POUNDS, AND WHEN COMBINED WITH THE KINETIC ENERGY OF SUPERSONIC FLIGHT
THE BRAHMOS IS BOUND TO BRING A BAD DAY TO ANY SHIP IT MEETS.
ACCORDING TO NAVAL NEWS, CONSTRUCTION FOR THE NEW MISSILE SITE IS AT PHILIPPINE NAVAL STATION LEOVIGILDO GANTIOQUI. THAT’S ON THE WESTERN COAST OF LUZON, RIGHT HERE.
THIS MEANS THAT THE SCARBOROUGH SHOAL–ONE OF THE MOST DISPUTED AREAS IN THE ENTIRE REGION–IS WITHIN RANGE. THE PHILIPPINE MARINE CORPS BOUGHT THREE BATTERIES OF BRAHMOS MISSILES THOUGH, WORTH AROUND 375 MILLION DOLLARS, AND THE WORKING THEORY RIGHT NOW AMONG LEADING MARITIME EXPERTS IS THE PHILIPPINES MARINE CORPS COULD ESTABLISH TWO MORE ANTI-SHIP MISSILE BASES. ONE AT CAMP CAPE BOJEADOR, WHICH WOULD COVER MOST OF THE LUZON STRAIT AND POTENTIALLY ON LUBANG ISLAND, WHICH OVERLOOKS MANILA BAY AND ACCESS TO THE CAPITAL CITY OF THE PHILIPPINES.
IT’S MORE THAN LIKELY THE PHILIPPINES WILL HAVE MORE THAN JUST THREE BRAHMOS BATTERIES WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE, THOUGH. THE PHILIPPINES ARMY ALSO TAGGED THE MISSILE SYSTEM AS A TARGET FOR PROCUREMENT IN THE COMING YEARS, ALONG WITH THE U.S.-MADE HIMARS.
OTHER COUNTRIES IN THE REGION, LIKE VIETNAM AND INDONESIA ARE INTERESTED IN PROCURING THEIR OWN BATTERIES OF BRAHMOS MISSILES AS WELL, BECAUSE NO ONE WANTS TO CEDE CONTROL OF THE SOUTH CHINA SEA TO CHINA.
FOR MORE REPORTING ABOUT CHINA, THE PHILIPPINES, AND THE CONFLICTS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP TODAY, OR HEAD OVER TO SAN DOT COM.
FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M RYAN ROBERTSON.
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