India's BrahMos to Fortify Philippines Against Chinese Aggression

In the midst of escalating tensions, the South China Sea is at the centre of a territorial dispute between China, the Philippines, and other countries, including Taiwan, Vietnam, Brunei, and Malaysia.

The disputed area involves the islands, reefs, banks, and other features of the region, including the Spratly Islands, Paracel Islands, Scarborough Shoal, and various boundaries in the Gulf of Tonkin.

China's sweeping claims of sovereignty over the South China Sea and the sea's estimated 11 billion barrels of untapped oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas have antagonised competing claimants, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

China has also reported that the South China Sea is 'an area of core interest' that is non-negotiable and on par with Taiwan and Tibet on the national agenda.

It has to be noted that China claims almost the entire South China Sea under its so-called nine-dash line, which was rejected by an international court in 2016. As well as the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, and Vietnam also have counter-claimed parts of the sea.

Moreover, China has deployed hundreds of coastguard vessels throughout the South China Sea to patrol what it considers its waters. As well as its assertive actions, such as fishing restrictions for all those countries that are counter-claiming.

In recent years, satellite imagery has shown China's increased efforts to reclaim land in the South China Sea by physically increasing the size of islands or creating new islands altogether.

In addition to piling sand onto existing reefs, China has constructed ports, military installations, and airstrips, particularly in the Paracel and Spratly Islands, where it has twenty and seven outposts, respectively.

Amidst the turmoil, on April 22, India delivered the first batch of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile systems to the Philippines, a victim of China's bully tactics in the South China Sea.

The export of missiles is part of India's plan to strengthen defence cooperation with the Philippines amid rising international apprehensions about China's escalating military activities in the South China Sea.

No big deal; a Chinese drone was spotted flying in close proximity to the Philippines, ahead of preparations by the Southeast Asian country to receive the delivery of Indian BrahMos missiles.

This action shows that China does not want any country to help the counter-claiming countries, as it would make China’s aim to annex unsuccessful.

Besides, India is strategically trying to sell Brahmos missiles to Vietnam and Indonesia, both of which have maritime border disputes with China.

Beforehand, in 2022, India gave Vietnam 12 high-speed guard boats built under a $100 million line of credit as part of the expanding defence ties between the two countries.

Report by



Shomen Chandra
Intern, The Narrative